A Man Married a Horse on This Daytime Talk Show

They say geniuses can see the future and they understand human trends and impulses before the rest of us do. In that sense, Jerry Springer is a genius. Before his entrance into daytime television, Springer served as the 56th mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. Next, he hosted a radio show that opened the door for the low-ethics, high-watermark of his career, "The Jerry Springer Show."

Indeed, Springer built the first daytime talk show that threw all sense of decorum, grace, and civility out the window. Each episode was a lurid, carnival-like look into the lives of the trashiest Americans. Be it sibling couples, horse lovers, or kung-fu fighting roommates, Springer welcomed the whole spectrum of misfits onto television to air their dirty laundry. He changed the face of television, leaving shoes that even the most unhinged talk show host could not fill. In honor of his twisted sense of spectacle, we will explore the most historic and downright bizarre moments from "The Jerry Springer Show." You won't gain any profound knowledge, but you will come away entertained, just as Springer wanted. (For programs that didn't deserve adaptations, discover TV shows that were better off left on the small screen.)

To compile an article about the most historic and downright bizarre moments from "The Jerry Springer Show," 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of news, lifestyle, and entertainment sites including BBC.com, Hot969Boston, and The Guardian. Next, we picked the most controversial and salacious moments from the show. After that, we confirmed aspects of each episode using sites like TVInsider.com and the Evening Standard.

Undoubtedly, one of the most outrageous moments from "The Jerry Springer Show" occurred in 1997 on an episode called "Klanfrontation." Under the guise of a debate on race and religion, Springer invited members of the Ku Klux Klan and the Jewish Defence League to discuss these contentious topics. Instead, it quickly devolved into arguments and racist name-calling. The respective groups did not take too kindly to each other, especially after one Klansman mockingly revealed a Jewish kippah underneath his white hood.

It got so heated that Jewish Defence League chairman Irv Rubin even participated in the action. The fight didn't last long, however, as Springer's security team and even members of the crowd jumped in to break up the fracas. With the show's trademark lack of tact or civility, the square-off between racists and Jewish activists perfectly symbolized just how trashy television can get.

An episode of "The Jerry Springer Show" from 2011 contains all the juicy, lurid narrative arcs that made the show famous. A woman showed up anticipating new information from her sister regarding the woman's boyfriend. To make matters worse, her sister was a burlesque dancer with a reputation for getting with the woman's exes. The sister then appeared, revealing she got with the woman's boyfriend after a particularly steamy night at the club. Even though the boyfriend apologized for his infidelity, he got his just desserts when the more pious sister slapped him. The dancing sister attempted to apologize, but it's too little, too late. The sisters fought.

On a very special episode of "The Jerry Springer Show" from 2004, a Missouri farmer named Mark introduced the world to his wife. The only problem, however, is his wife was a horse named Pixel. While showing off pictures he took of Pixel adorned in women's undergarments, Mark told the audience, "I had to earn her love and respect." It only got worse from there, as he explained the details of their love life to the crowd. Though Mark appeared normal, his predilections make him anything but. Both the audience and Springer grew increasingly disgusted as Mark explained the problems his neighbors have with the (obviously illegal) arrangement.

On an early episode of "The Jerry Springer Show" from 1996, the eponymous host introduced the world to Zack, one of the biggest babies in the world. Diagnosed with Golabi Behmel Syndrome, which causes overgrowth, Zack already weighed a whopping 70 pounds shortly after birth. To deal with it, his parents put him in adult diapers as they were the only kind that would fit. Even still, his parents accepted Zack's impressive frame, with his father saying "I wouldn't change him for the world." The story ended well too, as Zack returned to the show as an adult. He told the audience he was happy and working as a competitive gamer.

During a truly strange episode from "The Jerry Springer Show's" 16th season, a guest named Sandra explained to the audience how she cut off her legs a few years beforehand. It wasn't a rash decision either, as the 48-year-old, wheelchair-bound Sandra made the decision when she was just 14 years old. First, she tried to get a bad enough infection that doctors were forced to amputate her legs. When that plan failed to come to fruition, Sandra took matters into her own hands (or legs). Later in the episode, a man born without legs named Kenny appeared and chastised Sandra for her ungrateful attitude toward mobility.

In an episode titled "Naive and Knocked Up," audiences are introduced to James, a 32-year-old man who met his partner at a party when she was just 17 years old. Sensing an opportunity, James exchanged contact information with her, waited a year until she turned 18, and in his words, "turned up the heat on her." After a little convincing, James moved into his girlfriend's mother's house.

There, he lived like a low-rent king, getting five meals a day at the family's expense. To ensure his cushy deal, James gave her his baby, ensuring a permanent placement in her life. A bohemian layabout without the charm or artistic talent, James felt comfortable living off of his young girlfriend and the $400 a month he makes donating plasma. The audience, however, did not take too kindly to James' unscrupulous strategy.

On May 1, 1995, "The Jerry Springer Show" introduced Annabel Chong, a 22-year-old adult film star who took part in the world's biggest group adult relations event. In response, Springer treated her to various shame tactics such as asking, "Are you ever going to be able to love a man?" Chong pushed back, suggesting the record-breaking experience was empowering and a reversal of gender norms. As for the actress' life after the episode, she eventually left the adult entertainment industry and found work as a software developer. Her world record did not stand, however, as adult film actress Jasmin St. Clair broke it a few years later. Afterward, she too made an appearance on "The Jerry Springer Show" to discuss her feat.

In a 2012 episode titled "Outrageous Guilty Pleasures," the audience was introduced to a mother-daughter duo with a peculiar talent: They worked together as dominant females. Already weird enough, the stakes were raised when the duo brought their male submissive out on stage. In typical Springer fashion, a surprise reveal introduced the man's wife, who berated him for his peculiar predilections.

Enter Diemon Dave, a self-proclaimed "kung fu hillbilly" who endured a contentious relationship with his roommate Lil Wayne (no relation to the rapper). Fed up with his roommate's behavior for one reason or another, Dave entered the dojo by obsessively watching Jean Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris movies on his television before practicing his new moves in the mirror. Now in prime condition on television, Dave was ready to fight Wayne. He told Springer, "If he comes out here acting a fool, I'm gon' kung fu him." Well, Lil Wayne did appear, and the roommates came to blows. It quickly became apparent, however, that Dave was not quite the martial artist he thought himself to be.

During an episode called "Married To Your Dad, But Want You Back," a Montana woman talked about how she fell in love with a California man. After they connected, he naturally wanted to see her. He lacked vehicular transport, however, so the man reportedly walked 1,200 miles to be with her. When the relationship didn't work out, the woman turned her attention to the man's father. Eventually, his father impregnated the woman, resulting in a baby that was her ex-lover's younger sister. The woman, however, regretted the turn of events so much that she attempted to get back with the first guy, live on the show. Now robbed of his rose-colored glasses, the man declined her offer. (For classic lines, discover famous TV catchphrases that are a part of our everyday dialogue.)

Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, our lovable host upped the ante and introduced inbreeding to the show. In an episode titled "I'm Pregnant By My Brother," the audience met a woman who claimed to have been given a child by her brother. Though Springer questioned her morals, the woman was unapologetic and saw nothing wrong with her unconventional family arrangement. Afterward, her mother came on stage to berate her. Fed up, the daughter revealed she left the first brother for the older one. Shock, shaming, and mother-daughter brawling ensue.

During an episode called "Real Girlfriend Vs. Online Girlfriend," a woman named Alexis wanted to get to the bottom of her boyfriend Brian's online activities. According to her, Brian embarked on a not-so-secret love affair with an online pal named Dominique. Though they had never met, Brian claimed to already be madly in love with his virtual crush. To settle the dispute, Springer brought all affected parties on stage. To Brian's credit, he acted sincerely apologetic for creating the love triangle. As for his two scorned lovers, however, violence ensued. They bum-rushed each other while Brian watched on.

On a particularly absurd episode of "The Jerry Springer Show," a woman explained the trouble she was having with her on-again, off-again boyfriend. She said he was a creep, a cheater, and wouldn't take no for an answer. When she became particularly fed up with his behavior, she kicked him to the curb. Remarkably, the man made the curb his home, constructing a box and living in it right outside her front door. He said he didn't want to live in a box for the rest of his life, but until she realizes that they are meant to be together, his protest would continue unabated. Say what you will, he was determined. Upon making his stage appearance, complete with his box, the woman rejected him again. With nowhere else to turn, he said his box lifestyle was Jerry's problem.

A woman came on the show and detailed the trouble with her relationship: Her partner had recently taken a shine to her twin sister Ashley, an adult dancer, and started sleeping with her. Ashley came out, acting aggressively and telling her twin that she just doesn't have the goods to keep (their) man happy. The aggrieved twin said she was classier than her sister, and the sister told her classy twin that she lacked the bedroom prowess to keep the relationship going. Enter the man, who agreed with the more provocative one. To prove her point, the dancer twin grabbed onto a pole on stage left and showed the audience what she could do. It went about as well as you expect.

Alicia found out she was with a child, thanks to her teenage boyfriend Nate. The problem is that Nate also gave another woman a child a few months later. Alicia and the other woman sat on stage, questioning each other over their baby timelines. Out of nowhere, an acquaintance of the second lady showed up and exposed her for faking the whole thing, saying she had seen the results of the test. The girls came to an understanding, and everyone was better for it. Just kidding, they trash-talked each other until they came to blows, leaving Springer's security team to break up the fight.

In perhaps the most bizarre and gruesome episode of "The Jerry Springer Show," a guest named Earl Zea explained to Jerry his predicament. Convinced he was being stalked by a man, Zea took drastic measures to get his stalker to lose interest. To ensure his safety, he used a pair of gardening shears to cut off his private parts. This episode may seem too outlandish to be true, but Springer later confirmed its veracity in various interviews. He said the show's lawyers saw the police reports and hospital records that confirmed Zea's self-limiting protection strategy.

Springer often took a moderator position as his guests fought it out. In one episode, however, he almost came to blows himself. It featured a very antisemitic priest and his family. When the priest spouted his hateful rhetoric, it hit too close to home for Springer, the son of Jewish-German refugees who fled the Nazi regime. At first, he remained diplomatic, telling the priest "I don't hate you, I feel sorry for you." When the priest went on a Holocaust-denying rant, however, Springer almost physically attacked him.

This episode opened on the standard "Jerry Springer Show" fare. A woman appeared, explaining that her husband cheated on her with a woman of ill repute. The escort then appeared and seemed quite pleased with herself for providing her services to the cheating husband. As usual, the confrontation became a physical fight. During the mayhem, the lady of the evening's dentures fell out of her mouth and onto the stage. A security guard quickly noticed the teeth and brought the woman a cup of water to put them in. Before he gave her the cup, however, he held the teeth up for the cameras like a holy relic. The audience cheered.

In one of the more bizarre and hilarious episodes of "The Jerry Springer Show," three morbidly obese men took the stage and detailed their lives indulging in junk food and other forms of gluttony. This would be all well and good, peaceful even, except they were on the show to fight over a love interest. To prove their worth to the suitor, they took off their shirts and compared sizes. Whoever is biggest, presumably, got the girl.

Former guest Makayla made another appearance, this time to lay out what happened since her first episode. Back then, her partner Freddy was fooling around with another woman and got her pregnant. Now, Makayla, Fred, his mother, and his baby's mother all lived under one roof. To get revenge, Makayla got with Freddie's cousin's boyfriend. In standard Springer style, all offending parties took the stage. They screamed and shouted, but surprisingly, failed to come to blows. In the land of trash television, this counted as a happy ending. (For other shows that wouldn't get past modern censors, discover Classic TV shows that probably wouldn't be made today.)