ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 3, 1996 TAG: 9603010101
SECTION: BOOKS PAGE: F-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: BOOK REVIEW
SOURCE: REVIEWED BY PETER CROW
TUNING IN TROUBLE: Talk TV's Destructive Impact on Mental Health. By Jeanne Albronda Heaton and Nona Leigh Wilson. Jossey-Bass. $22.
It doesn't take a genius to see that talk shows are glitzy, shallow attempts at social psychology, aired more for cheap thrills than edification of any sort. If you have any doubts, read "Tuning in Trouble." Two psychologists analyze motives, methods and rewards for those involved - hosts and producers, guests, guest "experts" and viewers. It's not a pretty picture.
The problem is not so much with individual hosts as in the predictable but unfortunate evolution of the shows themselves. In 1967 when the Donahue show first aired in Dayton, women got their first real chance to discuss serious social issues in a public, televised forum. But the recent frantic competition for air time has turned talk shows away from their early empowerment of women to victimization of sick, desperate people of all persuasions.
On-camera ambushes of vulnerable people are a key element in the shows' popularity, and whatever follow-up consultation occurs almost never leads to appropriate counseling or treatment. There are even problems with the experts who offer advice to troubled guests. "Experts" are selected more on the basis of screen presence than insight or credentials; frequently, they appear near the end of the show and are given only a few seconds to "solve" the day's dilemma.
Heaton and Wilson end their study with suggestions for improving the talk shows. Wisely, they direct their remarks not just at the industry or TV viewers. They also offer ethical guidelines for professional organizations and potential consultants or on-air experts. All this reasonable advice, of course, will have little direct impact on the conduct of talk shows, driven as they are by ratings. Glutting of the public maw is much more likely to have that effect, and toward that end the shows themselves seem to be more than accommodating.
What "Tuning in Trouble" accomplishes is still considerable. Through the book, two social psychologists take a stand against charlatanism in their profession while the charlatans are still popular. They assure those needing help that public exposure and humiliation isn't necessary for recovery, that a few moments of hyped up feel-good are no substitute for sustained therapy and caring. It's the kind of stand more professionals need to take when confronted with marketing madness.
Peter Crow teaches English at Ferrum College.
LENGTH: Medium: 52 linesby CNB