Jerey Springer is a genius and anyone else is just jealous.

No, GULC has Joel Klein. I expect to get in some zzzz's during his speech this weekend.

Is his show even still on the air? This "controversy" is the first I've heard his name in years.

I heard him give a recent speech on NPR recently. He was good, and while I buy that he was once a mayor of Cinncinatti and a good politician, there will be no major political comeback, like he is now laying the groundwork for. Nothing can scrub the taint of that show off him.

Joel Klein is a donkey

What did he say? Congrats to the NU graduates!

The NPR show (This American Life) was awesome.

For those who didn't listen, Jerry was a wildly successful young politician (successful as in people compared his speeches to JFK's) until he wrote a check to a prostitute (yes, his own check, signed by him).

5:10

"I heard him give a recent speech on NPR recently." Did that happen recently?

"He was good, and while I buy that he was once a mayor of Cinncinatti and a good politician, there will be no major political comeback, like he is now laying the groundwork for."
Actually, he was the mayor of Cincinnati, rather than Cinncinatti. Also, good of you to "buy" a fact.

Sheesh.

5:10

"I heard him give a recent speech on NPR recently." Did that happen recently?

"He was good, and while I buy that he was once a mayor of Cinncinatti and a good politician, there will be no major political comeback, like he is now laying the groundwork for."
Actually, he was the mayor of Cincinnati, rather than Cinncinatti. Also, good of you to "buy" a fact.

Sheesh.

5:10

"I heard him give a recent speech on NPR recently." Did that happen recently?

"He was good, and while I buy that he was once a mayor of Cinncinatti and a good politician, there will be no major political comeback, like he is now laying the groundwork for."
Actually, he was the mayor of Cincinnati, rather than Cinncinatti. Also, good of you to "buy" a fact.

Sheesh.

5:10

"I heard him give a recent speech on NPR recently." Did that happen recently?

"He was good, and while I buy that he was once a mayor of Cinncinatti and a good politician, there will be no major political comeback, like he is now laying the groundwork for."
Actually, he was the mayor of Cincinnati, rather than Cinncinatti. Also, good of you to "buy" a fact.

Sheesh.

5:10

"I heard him give a recent speech on NPR recently." Did that happen recently?

"He was good, and while I buy that he was once a mayor of Cinncinatti and a good politician, there will be no major political comeback, like he is now laying the groundwork for."
Actually, he was the mayor of Cincinnati, rather than Cinncinatti. Also, good of you to "buy" a fact.

Sheesh.

5:10

"I heard him give a recent speech on NPR recently." Did that happen recently?

"He was good, and while I buy that he was once a mayor of Cinncinatti and a good politician, there will be no major political comeback, like he is now laying the groundwork for."
Actually, he was the mayor of Cincinnati, rather than Cinncinatti. Also, good of you to "buy" a fact.

Sheesh.

5:10

"I heard him give a recent speech on NPR recently." Did that happen recently?

"He was good, and while I buy that he was once a mayor of Cinncinatti and a good politician, there will be no major political comeback, like he is now laying the groundwork for."
Actually, he was the mayor of Cincinnati, rather than Cinncinatti. Also, good of you to "buy" a fact.

Sheesh.

5:10

"I heard him give a recent speech on NPR recently." Did that happen recently?

"He was good, and while I buy that he was once a mayor of Cinncinatti and a good politician, there will be no major political comeback, like he is now laying the groundwork for."
Actually, he was the mayor of Cincinnati, rather than Cinncinatti. Also, good of you to "buy" a fact.

Sheesh.

5:10, stop re-posting 5:22's comment. We all know it's you, bitterbitch.

JERRY! JERRY! JERRY! JERRY!....

Did the xoxo kids just now learn what "STFU" means? Seems like it's been popping up a lot lately.

Anybody who says "sheesh" is an uber-dork. Well-documented fact.

Why isn't Lat covering this story of a fellow Filipino hatemonger??

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/05/16/prolific-hatemail-author-pleads-guilty-faces-up-to-35-years/?mod=WSJBlog#comments

5:04- -what about UMichigan State?111?1!1

hahahaha. TOM IZZO!!

haha. OMG. ROFL. LOLZ !!!!1111

UPenn State PWNED!!!111

awesome joke dude!!!11

Mrs. Roger Lou is speaking at University of Ohio State.

Anyone else here old enough to remember when the Jerry Springer Show was actually politically-oriented?

5:58 - Maybe because the WSJ already did?

The AV Club had an interview with Springer earlier this week. It was interesting to read about his take on his show.

@5:10: You now hold a new ALT record for the most duplicate posts (8).

HINT: No matter what happens, press "Post Comment" once. (Unless you wanted to post the same thing 8 times, in which case you are a retard.)

I was there. He was absolutely fabulous. No haters, no complaints. Everyone was supportive and encouraging, and Jerry was incredible.

5:15 - I'm the original tipster -- Among other points, he acknowledged that the people who didn't want him had a point, and that he wouldn't have chosen him either. He commented on how we are all privilged and on how we all face ethical dilemmas as lawyers (and in every other profession) almost daily.

Quote of the speech:
"I am no better than any of the guests on my show. And none of you is any better than the people you represent. And that's not an insult."

5:19 - Actually, he wrote the check to the prostitute while serving in his first political office (city council, I believe), resigned, but was so popular and all-around awesome as a politician that he ran again, won in a landslide, and went on to become mayor. The prostitute incident was not anywhere near the end of his political career.

I heard Jerry's speech today, too. He was absolutely fantastic! Even the students most ardently opposed to his appearance admitted that he was a fantastic speaker! I have to agree with 9:12 about the quote of the speech--several of the faculty were even in tears at that point. The best part of the speech was when you finally realized that he was telling all the graduates to get off their high horses. That is surely a message that all over-privileged new law school graduates need to hear this time of year.

Jerry's speech was even better when contrasted with Professor Redish's address. The administration added Redish to the program at the last minute to placate the students who thought that Jerry was not high-brow enough. All Redish did was tell jokes that were simultaneously horrible and self-aggrandizing.

Finally, I know that Jerry was worried about getting a pie in the face from some irate student. Still, after the ceremony he hung around outside the theater for at least 45 minutes shaking hands and posing for photos with grads, friends, and family.

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I was graduating and thought it was a great speech as well. I was somewhat opposed to him being there initially, but he gave me a good reminder and a good lesson. Part of his message was to be less judgmental and more open. Once people leave school, we all have to deal with serious ethical issues, whether as lawyers, reporters, mayors or talk show hosts. He reminded us that all people are equal, and much of what we have and will achieve is by luck. For many of us, where would we be if our parents were poor? What if we were born anywhere in Africa or Darfur specifically? We focus on our efforts and laud ourselves for it, and often forget about the other, purely random factors that are arguably much more important. His example was of his family pretty much being exterminated during the Holocaust. His mom and him fled to NYC. Where would he be if not raised in America? What does the Statue of Liberty mean? "In the end, everything"

Anybody have a transcript or video? From 4:10's description it sounds like some of the same themes that Tribe touched on in his speech that got everyone so excited the other day.

Well, I sure hope Springer didn't ask the grads to turn to their moms and dads and thank them for bonking on the night they were conceived, like Lat reports Tribe did at NYU:

http://abovethelaw.com/2008/05/larry_tribe_at_nyu.php#comments

Guess Springer had more class than that.

But I would like to see a transcript, or even better a video, just to compare Tribe's overall ffectiveness as a speaker with Springer's. The comment about how poorly Redish did makes me think that top-flight academics like Tribe and Redish just may be bad choices to serve as a commencement speaker, especially when they try to be "hip" (to use a word that fits their generation).

There was a book out maybe a decade ago about the different kinds of intelligence, e.g., social intelligence. People like Tribe and Redish surely score high on some measures (i.e., the ones that allow one to get tenure at a top law school), but apparently low on others.

1:36:

What b.s. It's erroneous to assume that all law school grads are over-privileged, although by subscribing to this fallacy, you no doubt sit in populous company.

10:06:

Jerry didn't mean that all NU students are equally over-privileged -- I'm sure that he realizes that some of us come from multi-millionaire families and some of us come from the south side of Chicago. But even the few students from inner-city ghettos are privileged compared to half the world's population, which subsists on less than a dollar a day. I'm pretty sure none of us were starving or living in Burma before coming into law school. His point wasn't to degrade our achievements, but to remind us that all of us are equal and to have some empathy for those less fortunate.

Redish was probably my favorite professor at Northwestern, and personally I thought his speech was good, too. But it was a speech more typical for graduation ceremonies. . basic theme "by completing this chapter in your life you've done something very important, now go continue to do important things." It wasn't that it was bad, it was that it was just a typical graduation speech -- much less honest and self aware than Jerry's.

10:06 a.m. -- you have t ohear the context of the speech before you can jduge, or fully understand his point. Let's look at this paraphrase "The most intelligent, talented, hard working person in the world -- whoever you think that person is -- if he had been born in Darfur, he'd likely be dead at the age of five." The point is, no matter what our situation was before we got there, he had what it took to get there, and we had nothing to do with getting what it took, just as he had nothing to do with the decision to be born at all.

LAT-please post directions on the "Post Comment" area, as clearly "Please only submit your comment once" is too vague and confusing for the vast majority of ATL readers. They apparently need to be told exactly HOW to submit their comments only once..."Please press Post Comment button ONCE, you will NOT be taken to a new screen, you will NOT see a message confirming your post, but do NOT press Post Comment more than ONCE." Or, here's a thought, maybe change the system so that a "comment posted" verification message appears...just a thought.

6:26 -- The problem is that the systeem sometimes has a significant lag where it may appear to the user that nothing is happening -- so in frustration (or due to a lack of patience and experience) they click submit a few more times to make it "go" -- get over it. This is the least important thing that will happen to you all day -- I hope.

I was there, and I don't remember anyone standing up. It was a polite crowd and he spoke well, apologetically, really. He addressed ethics. I'm posting on it tonight. http://everyoneneedstherapy.blogspot.com
if you're interested in this doc's assessment of the keynote speaker.

I wanted to see if anyone picked up the Yiddish phrase at the end first :)

therapydoc

doc, if you don't remember anybody standing up, you clearly weren't paying enough attention to write an analysis of the speech. Much less spam ATL with your blog.

Perhaps the best commencement speech at a major University I have heard, and I have heard speeches from University of Miami to Yale University, from speakers from the best of Academia to NASA Astronauts. I am a harsh critic of the Jerry Springer Show, yet I together with most of those present, gave him a standing ovation.

L. Martos

Perhaps the best commencement speech at a major University I have heard, and I have heard speeches from University of Miami to Yale University, from speakers from the best of Academia to NASA Astronauts. I am a harsh critic of the Jerry Springer Show, yet I together with most of those present, gave him a standing ovation.

Therapydoc, you are grossly out of touch with reality. His speech didn't say "I'm sorry", it said "get the stick out of your ass and get off your high horse." Not knowing that anyone stood up basically indicates that you either wern't actually there, or are as accurate in your reporting as the National Enquirer.

http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2008/05/16/Campus/Springer.Addresses.Law.Grads.At.Commencement-3372681.shtml

I was there. I stood. As did some (but not all) the people next to me. I was close enough to see his hand start to shake as he got to the part about Nazis killing his family and the story about his mother.

"Not knowing that anyone stood up basically indicates that you either wern't actually there, or are as accurate in your reporting as the National Enquirer."

Well, the original tipster said that the "Whole audience stood." The Daily Northwestern says it was "about half of the students." It sounds like some people probably stood up, but maybe not enough that you can fault someone for not noticing.

I, for one, was standing up. Then again, I have a rare condition that makes it impossible for me to sit down.

Cheers,

The Guy Who Can't Sit Down

link to commencement video?

I posted 5/17, at 9:40 a.m., wondering if someone had a transcript or video of Jerry Springer's speech, it make it possible to compare his overall effectiveness as a speaker to Tribe's, here: http://abovethelaw.com/2008/05/an_early_review_of_jerry_sprin.php#comment-597406

I've now found a transcript online, here: http://www.timessquaregossip.com/2008/05/jerry-springer-returns-to-law-college.html

Apparently, Times Square Gossip got the transcript from Springer or someone in his camp. It's all caps, and contains various dashes to signal verbal pauses for the speech. I've converted it to lower case, and have paragraphed and punctuated it in a manner more suitable for reading. It appears below.

What I'm struck by is that Springer dealt with two of Tribe's main themes -- his family's brush with the Holocaust, and how lucky the graduates are to be in their position, or even to be alive -- and that Springer was so much more effective than Tribe. That is, a Northwestern law grad who hosts a "silly" talk show (his words) vastly outclassed a Harvard law grad who's a top professor at Harvard Law School. Go figure.

TRANSCRIPT OF JERRY SPRINGER COMMENCEMENT SPEECH (PREPARED REMARKS)

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, MAY 16, 2008

40 years ago this week, I sat where you now do: degree in hand, the prestige of this great law school on my resume and, perhaps immodestly, a real sense of achievement in my heart – but no sense of what my future would be, or if in fact, there would even be one.

Please understand. I was not alone in my uncertainty. For this was 1968, and America was unraveling. Our cities were burning. Vietnam was beckoning. 1A was no longer a grade, but rather a sentence – a draft classification to a war that groped for justification, and found none.

Martin Luther King had just been assassinated. Bobby Kennedy was about to be. And within 2 months and 2 miles from here, Chicago would explode around the dysfunction of the Democratic convention.

To be honest, contracts, torts and civil procedure seemed of little relevance. Because in the world outside Lincoln Hall, nothing seemed civil at all. I remember thinking at the time that our sheltered existence at law school, however prestigious, seemed totally detached from the chaos that consumed the world outside.

There were 190 of us in my graduating class and, believe it or not, only 2 of the 190 were women. Of the 188 men, only one was African-American. As a class, we were too white – too male and too privileged. And though it certainly took too long to change, what comfort it is today to look out at all of you and see the racial, gender and ethnic diversity that really is America.

But as happy as I am to look out and see all of your faces, I understand there are a number of you who aren’t too happy to see mine. To the students who invited me, thank you. I am honored. To the students who object to my presence, well, you’ve got a point. I too would’ve chosen someone else. But once asked, I don’t know, it would’ve been kind of arrogant, or at least unappreciative, for me to have said “no.”

So, here I am. But in an attempt to soften the pain, let me stipulate to the facts. You are right. I am an imperfect being (on my talk show, more colorful language might be employed), and I feel hardly qualified to tell you what to do with your lives.

The truth be told, though I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a comfortable measure of success in my various careers, let’s be honest. I’ve been virtually everything you can’t respect: a lawyer, a mayor, a major market news anchor and a talk show host. Pray for me. if I get to heaven, we’re all going.

No, I don’t feel at all qualified to tell you what to do with your lives. Because I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older, the wisdom of Winston Churchill’s words, that I’m not nearly as certain about anything, as I used to be about everything. But if I’m admittedly not up to the task of advising you what to do, maybe I can at least share some life observations that you might find useful.

Let’s assume that your prime discomfort with me is based on the ethics of what I do for a living.

Well, that’s a fair question, worthy of a serious response, because on this your graduation day I can tell you with some confidence, that you too will likely deal with these very same ethical considerations, no matter what path your career takes.

Surely, in every one of my chosen professions there were ethical “red flags” rising virtually every day. When I was Cincinnati’s mayor, there were 2 or 3 issues I really wanted to focus on. But how much would I compromise on other legislation just to get the votes I needed on my priorities? And how much pandering would I do to the voters, rationalizing all the while, that if I didn’t get re-elected I wouldn’t be able to get anything done?

Then for 10 years I became a journalist, perhaps the most ethically challenging profession of all. You see, I knew that 90% of what’s in the paper or on the television news, we don’t really need to know. Oh, we may want to know it, or we might find the story interesting, but we don’t really need to know. And yet, even though reporting the story isn’t necessary, how often do we go with a story anyway, because it will make a great headline, sell papers or drive up ratings – even if we know it might embarrass or hurt the business or career or family or reputation of the person we’re reporting on? That is a daily ethical question that I can tell you, having been in the newsroom, is almost always ignored.

And then of course, in my profession now as a host of a crazy talk show. Well, at least with this, I can rationalize that the show is only open to those who really, and I mean really want to be on – and they get to choose the subject matter, what is revealed, and what must not be revealed. But even with this, I grapple with ethical questions, not to mention the business consideration, that a so-called “cleaner” show would certainly be more profitable, ala “Oprah” and “Ellen” and “Dr. Phil.”

Then, of course, what about the career most of you will be choosing? That of an attorney. Think of the ethical issues you will have to deal with.

Will you work for a corporate client who perhaps is polluting – will you walk into your senior partner’s office after having been asked to prepare a memorandum in support of this client’s case and say, “I’m sorry, I’ll have to leave and find another place to work,” and then explain to your family why there won’t be a pay check coming in this month, despite the need to pay your child’s tuition?

Will you work for an insurance company that would prefer to find a way not to pay a claim, or to pay less than is warranted?

How about a client who seeks personal injury damages when you kind of know it wasn’t that bad?

Will you help a client find a way to pay less taxes, even though you’re taking advantage of an unintended loophole?

In defending a client in a criminal case – believing the truth lies elsewhere, will you nevertheless follow the wisdom of that great Texas trial attorney, Percy Foreman, “my clients want freedom, not justice!”

Look, I’m not suggesting that these moral dilemmas don’t have answers – and my guess is you’ve come up with a few, even as I’ve been talking – but what I am saying, is that whatever profession you choose, whatever it is you plan to do with this law school diploma, the ethical questions will never stop.

Indeed, it’s the frustration we feel from our first class here at Northwestern, when we are exposed, perhaps for the first time, to the Socratic method of teaching by our intimidating professors – always questions, never really answers.

Welcome to life. Indeed, do not think for a moment that my balancing act on the pinnacle of your protest is the exception. Unavoidably, you will all join me on this witness stand of conscience – trying your best to figure it out, never perfectly, but hopefully, always sincerely.

It is perhaps inevitable that we are inclined to always be judging others. But let me share this observation. I am not superior to the people on my show, and you are not superior to the people you will represent. That is not an insult. It is merely an understanding derived from a life spent on the front lines of human interaction, be it in the arena of politics, law, journalism, or in the spotlight of the media. We are all alike. Some of us just dress better, or have more money – or perhaps we were born into better circumstances of parental upbringing, health, brains and luck.

On this great day, when we honor your achievement – which is considerable by any standard – we might also say thank you to God in full recognition that whatever we achieve in life is 99% a gift. After all, not one person in this hall had anything to do with the decision to be born, to whom we’d be born, in what era, in what country, with what health, with what mind. Indeed, if the brightest most successful person living in America today – no matter who you think that person is – if he or she had been born in Darfur, the chances are, he or she would be dead by the age of 5.

No, life is a gift, as is living in America. And I know that from personal experience. You see, I am not the first lawyer in my family. My dad’s brother was. His practice was cut short, as was his life – in Auschwitz. My grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, they met their end as well – Chelmo, Thereisenstadt, camp after camp. Hitler turning my family tree into a single vine – mom and dad, by the grace of God, surviving, enabling them to bring my sister and me ultimately to America.

Four tickets on the Queen Mary, January 1949, sailing into the New York harbor. In silence, all the ship’s passengers gathered on the top deck of this grand oceanliner as we passed by the majesty of the Statue of Liberty. My mom told me in later years (I was only 5 at the time) shivering in the cold, that I had asked her: “What are we looking at? What does the statue mean?” in the German she spoke, she replied: “Ein tach allas.” “One day, everything!”

She was right. In one generation, here in America, my family went from near total annihilation to this ridiculously privileged life I live today because of my silly show.

Indeed, in America, all things are possible. So on this day, as we celebrate and honor your achievement, may it be for you – as it was for me – “ein tach allas,” one day, everything. Thank you for having me.

Wow. Judging from that transcript above, Springer comes across as humble and sensitive. Looks like one hell of a speech.

Everyone is right, he could never have a political comeback. That would be as crazy as electing a professional wrestler or an action hero actor from Austria as governor.

Anyone who reads that transcript and cannot appreciate what a great speech that was is a complete jackass. Any school should be honored to have him speak, any school. And please don't tell me you would ratther have some blowhard professor or scholar put everyone to sleep with 15 minutes worth of "This is how great I am..." The students who protested him coming to speak are the same students who needed a nice speech about not being such self-righteous asshole. Well done Mr. Springer.

Wow- just reading the transcript, certain parts gave me chills down my spine. I could not imagine the response that would be elicited hearing it from Springer himself, an excellent public speaker. I want an elite commencement speech like this 3 years from now!

I don't fully understand Tribe's and Springer's notions about "you are lucky you are who you are." What is saying that meant to accomplish? If I take those words to heart and do feel lucky to have been born who I am and where I am, what does that then mean I am supposed to do?

Does this mean that the United States (or a coalition of First World countries) has a moral imperative to help third world countries? What form should that help take? What if they don't want our help, should we force it on them?

To me, the "you are lucky" notion is another side of the liberal love for wallowing in emotions without discussing what difference it makes in the real world or what one should do about it (see also: white guilt).

"I don't fully understand Tribe's and Springer's notions about 'you are lucky you are who you are.' "

People start getting all philosophical as they get older and their own mortality comes into full view. Once they start thinking about their own short life they can't help but realize how random and unlikely it all is. It'll happen to you one day.

"What is saying that meant to accomplish?"

It's called "humility" duck.

11:46 You could have been born in Darfur or been stuck in a family of meth heads. Of course you could also have been born into royalty somewhere, but the overwhelming odds are that you would be worse off than you are right now.

This is 11:46. Thanks for further demonstrating my point, last three commenters (my point being that saying these things is just unproductive liberal emotion-wallowing).

The unexamined life is not worth living. Many of us are actually capable of thinking and acting at the same time.

I attended the commencement, and Jerry Springer's speech brought tears to my eyes. He was absolutely excellent.