Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of Appalachian heritage.

History[link]

Hillbilly Hot Dogs, a roadside hot dog stand located near Huntington, West Virginia.

Origins of the term "hillbilly" are obscure. According to Anthony Harkins in Hillbilly: A Cultural History of an American Icon, the term first appeared in print in a 1900 New York Journal article, with the definition: "a Hill-Billie is a free and untrammeled white citizen of Alabama, who lives in the hills, has no means to speak of, dresses as he can, talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it, and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him."

The Appalachian region was largely settled in the 18th century by the Scotch-Irish, the majority of whom originated in the lowlands of Scotland. Harkins believes the most credible theory of the term's origin is that it derives from the linkage of two older Scottish expressions, "hill-folk" and "billie" which was a synonym for "fellow", similar to "guy" or "bloke".

Although the term is not documented until 1900, a conjectural etymology for the term is that it originated in 17th century Ireland for Protestant supporters of King William III during the Williamite War.^[1] The Irish Catholic supporters of James II referred to these northern Protestant supporters of "King Billy", as "Billy Boys". However, Michael Montgomery, in From Ulster to America: The Scotch-Irish Heritage of American English, states "In Ulster in recent years it has sometimes been supposed that it was coined to refer to followers of King William III and brought to America by early Ulster emigrants…, but this derivation is almost certainly incorrect… In America hillbilly was first attested only in 1898, which suggests a later, independent development."^[2]

Harkins theorizes that use of the term outside the Appalachians arose in the years after the American Civil War, when the Appalachian region became increasingly bypassed by technological and social changes taking place in the rest of the country. Until the Civil War, the Appalachians were not significantly different from other rural areas of the country. After the war, as the frontier pushed further west, the Appalachian country retained its frontier character, and the people themselves came to be seen as backward, quick to violence, and inbred in their isolation. Fueled by news stories of mountain feuds, such as that in the 1880s between the Hatfields and McCoys, the hillbilly stereotype developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The "classic" hillbilly stereotype - the poor, ignorant, feuding family with a huge brood of children tending the family moonshine still - reached its current characterization during the years of the Great Depression, when many mountaineers left their homes to find work in other areas of the country. It was during these years that comic strips such as Li'l Abner and films such as Ma and Pa Kettle made the "hillbilly" a common stereotype.

The period of Appalachian out-migration, roughly from the 1930s through the 1950s, saw many mountain residents moving north to the midwestern industrial cities of Chicago, Cleveland, Akron, and particularly Detroit, where jobs in the automotive industry were plentiful. This movement north became known as the "Hillbilly Highway".

The advent of the interstate highway system and television brought many previously isolated communities into mainstream United States culture in the 1950s and 1960s. The Internet continues this integration.

Slang use[link]

The term hillbilly is commonly used outside of Appalachia as a reference in describing socially backward people that fit certain "hillbilly" characteristics. In this context, it is often (though not always) derogatory. Although the described person may reside on completely flat terrain, hillbilly is substituted in place of more disparaging terms, such as white trash. In urban usage, hillbilly is sometimes used interchangeably for terms like hick.

Music[link]

Migrant family from Arkansas playing hill-billy songs, 1939

Hillbilly music was at one time considered an acceptable label for what is now known as country music. However, some artists and fans, notably Hank Williams Sr., found the term offensive even in its heyday. The label, coined in 1925 by country pianist Al Hopkins,^[3] persisted until the 1950s.

Now, the older name is widely deemed offensive, but the term hillbilly music is still used on occasion to refer to old-time music or bluegrass. An early tune that contained the word hillbilly was "Hillbilly Boogie" by the Delmore Brothers in 1946. Earlier, in the 1920s, there were records by a band called the Beverly Hillbillies. In 1927, the Gennett studios in Richmond, Indiana, made a recording of black fiddler Jim Booker with other instrumentalists; their recordings were labeled "made for Hillbilly" in the Gennett files, and were marketed to a white audience. Also during the 1920s, an old-time music band known as the Hill Billies featuring Al Hopkins and Fiddlin' Charlie Bowman, achieved acclaim as recording artists for Columbia Records. By the late forties, radio stations broadcast music described as "hillbilly," originally to describe fiddlers and string bands, but was then used to describe the traditional music of the people of the Appalachian Mountains. The people who actually sang these songs and lived in the Appalachian Mountains never used these terms to describe their own music.

Popular songs whose style bore characteristics of both hillbilly and African American music were referred to, in the late 1940s and early 1950s as hillbilly boogie, and in the mid-1950s as rockabilly. Elvis Presley was a prominent player of the latter genre and was known early in his career as the "Hillbilly Cat". When the Country Music Association was founded in 1958, the term hillbilly music gradually fell out of use. However, the term rockabilly is still in common use.^[4]

Later, the music industry merged hillbilly music, Western Swing, and Cowboy music, to form the current category C&W, Country and Western.

The famous bluegrass fiddler Vassar Clements described his style of music as "hillbilly jazz."

In fiction and popular culture[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

The stereotypical hillbilly has inspired many fictional accounts in a variety of media, from novels and comic strips to movies and television. These accounts introduced the hillbilly to the general American public as a uniquely American type. Comic strips such as Li’l Abner and Snuffy Smith, and radio programs such as Lum and Abner brought the stereotype of lazy, simple-minded hillbillies into American homes.

Film and television have portrayed the hillbilly in both derogatory and sympathetic terms. Films such as Sergeant York or the Ma and Pa Kettle series portrayed the hillbilly as wild but good-natured, and television programs of the 1960s, such as The Real McCoys, The Andy Griffith Show, and especially The Beverly Hillbillies portrayed the hillbilly as somewhat backward but with a wisdom that always outwitted more sophisticated city folk. The popular 1970s television variety show Hee Haw starred several well-known country and western singers and regularly lampooned the stereotypical hillbilly lifestyle. A darker image of the hillbilly is found in the film Deliverance (1972), based on a novel by James Dickey, which depicted the hillbilly as genetically deficient and murderous.

In the Appalachian and Ozark regions, the hillbilly stereotype formed the basis for financially lucrative commercial interpretations of traditional culture through theme parks and theaters, such as Dogpatch USA in Arkansas, and Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Local pride[link]

The Springfield, Missouri Chamber of Commerce once presented dignitaries visiting the city with an "Ozark Hillbilly Medallion" and a certificate proclaiming the honoree a "hillbilly of the Ozarks." On June 7, 1952, President Harry S. Truman received the medallion after a breakfast speech^[5] at the Shrine Mosque for the 35th Division Association. Other recipients included US Army generals Omar Bradley and Matthew Ridgeway, J. C. Penney, Johnny Olsen and Ralph Story.^[6]

Hillbilly Days^[7] is an annual festival held in mid-April in Pikeville, Kentucky celebrating the best of Appalachian culture. The event began by local Shriners as a fundraiser to support the Shriners Children's Hospital. It has grown since its beginning in 1976 and now is the second largest festival held in the state of Kentucky. Artists and craftspeople showcase their talents and sell their works on display. Nationally renowned musicians as well as the best of the regional mountain musicians share six different stages located throughout the downtown area of Pikeville. Want-to-be hillbillies from across the nation compete to come up with the wildest Hillbilly outfit. The event has earned its name as the Mardi Gras of the Mountains. Fans of "mountain music" come from around the United States to hear this annual concentrated gathering of talent. Some refer to this event as the equivalent of a "Woodstock" for mountain music.

See also[link]

• Cracker
• Hillbilly armor
• List of ethnic slurs
• Pikey
• Redneck
• Trailer trash
• Yokel

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Dessauer, Phil "Springfield, Mo.-Radio City of Country Music" (April, 1957), Coronet
• Hillbilly, A Cultural History of an American Icon, by Anthony Harkins
• Hillbillyland: What the Movies Did to the Mountains & What the Mountains Did to the Movies, by J. W. Williamson

Jerry Springer
Springer in 2011 at the book launch party for Michael Musto's Fork on the Left, Knife in the Back
56th Mayor of Cincinnati
In office 1977–1978
Preceded by	Jim Luken
Succeeded by	Bobbie L. Sterne
Personal details
Born	Gerald Norman Springer (1944-02-13)February 13, 1944 (age 68) Highgate, London, England
Nationality	American[1]
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Micki Velton (1973–present)
Alma mater	Tulane University (B.A.) Northwestern University (J.D.)
Occupation	Former politician, talk show host
Website	jerryspringertv.com

Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer (born February 13, 1944) is an American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991. He is a former Democratic mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio,^[2] news anchor, and musician.

Early life[link]

Springer was born in Highgate tube station in London, England, while the station was in use as a shelter from German bombing during World War II^[3] and grew up on Chandos Road, East Finchley. His parents, Margot (née Kallmann; a bank clerk) and Richard Springer (owner of a shoe shop^[4]), were Jewish refugees who escaped from Landsberg an der Warthe, Germany (now Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland).^[5][6][7] His maternal grandmother Marie Kallmann, who was left behind, died in the gas trucks of Chelmno extermination camp. His paternal grandmother, Selma Springer, died at the Theresienstadt concentration camp. In January 1949, Springer immigrated with his parents to the United States, settling in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York and attended Forest Hills High School. He and his sister Evelyn were raised in a small four-room apartment. One of his earliest memories about current events was when he was 12 and watching the 1956 Democratic convention on television where he saw and was impressed by John F. Kennedy.^[8] He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University in 1965, majoring in political science.^[9] He earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Northwestern University in 1968.^[6][10]

Springer became a political campaign adviser to Robert F. Kennedy.^[10] After Kennedy's assassination, he joined the Cincinnati law firm of Frost & Jacobs, now Frost Brown Todd.

Political career[link]

In 1970, Springer ran for Congress. He failed to unseat incumbent Republican Donald D. Clancy, but garnered an impressive 45% of the vote in a traditionally Republican district. He had previously spearheaded the effort to lower the voting age, including testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of ratification of the 26th Amendment.

Springer was elected to the Cincinnati city council in 1971.^[10] He resigned in 1974 after admitting to hiring a prostitute.^[10] The episode was uncovered when a police raid on a Fort Wright, Kentucky "massage parlor" unearthed a check Springer had written for its "services". The check subsequently bounced due to lack of funds in the account. Springer came clean at a press conference. Long-time Cincinnati newsman Al Schottelkotte pronounced Springer's career over, but Springer's honesty helped him win back his seat in 1975 by a landslide. In a post-election interview, Schottelkotte good-naturedly reminded Springer that he had declared Springer's career over. Springer told the newsman, "I'm glad that you were wrong." In 1977, he was chosen to serve one year as mayor by the City Council.

In 1982, Springer sought the Democratic nomination for governor of Ohio. TV commercials for Springer's campaign referenced his use of a check to pay a prostitute, saying that he was not afraid of the truth "even if it hurts".^[11] He failed to win the Democratic party's nomination—finishing a distant third behind former Lieutenant Governor Richard F. Celeste and Ohio Attorney General William J. Brown, and his political career was put on hold. Springer considered running for the United States Senate in 2003,^[12] but backed down due to negative associations with The Jerry Springer Show.^[13]

Politics to journalism[link]

Springer's broadcast career started while he was an undergraduate at Tulane University, on WTUL New Orleans FM, a progressive format independent radio station. It continued while he was still mayor of Cincinnati, with album-oriented rock radio station WEBN-FM, which was noted for its laid-back and irreverent radio format. The station featured commentaries by Springer under the banner "The Springer Memorandum." The popularity of these commentaries launched his broadcasting career.

Springer was hired as a political reporter and commentator on Cincinnati's NBC affiliate, WLWT, which had, at the time, the lowest-rated news program. Later, having been named primary news anchor and Managing Editor, he needed a broadcast catchphrase in the model of other great newsmen. With the help of some others at WLWT, he created his signature line: "Take care of yourself, and each other." Within two years he was Cincinnati's number-one news anchor, along with partner Norma Rashid. For five years, he was the most popular one in the city,^[10] garnering ten local Emmy Awards for his nightly commentaries, which were frequently satirized by Cincinnati radio personality Gary Burbank. Those commentaries would eventually become his "Final Thought" on "The Jerry Springer Show." Springer would remain commentator at WLWT until January 1993. He resided in Loveland, Ohio, during this time.^[14]

In 1997, the Chicago-based NBC-owned station WMAQ-TV hired Springer to serve as a news commentator. However, this proved to be unpopular among viewers, as it resulted in the resignation of long-time news anchors Ron Magers and Carol Marin. After performing only two commentaries, Springer resigned as commentator.^[15][16]

Hosting[link]

[edit] The Jerry Springer Show

The Jerry Springer Show debuted on September 30, 1991. It was developed by WLWT to mimic the format and look of fellow talk show Donahue, all the way down to Jerry's haircut and glasses, making him look like Phil Donahue (coincidentally, both were produced by Multimedia Entertainment). It started as a politically-oriented talk show, a longer version of Springer's commentaries. Guests included Oliver North and Jesse Jackson, and topics included homelessness and gun politics.

In early 1994, Springer and his new producer, Richard Dominick, revamped the show's format in order to garner higher ratings. The show became more and more successful as it became more and more lowbrow, with an emphasis on infidelity. Its guests were typically lower class, minimally-educated, blue collar people confronted on a television stage by a spouse or family member's adultery, homosexuality, prostitution, transvestism, hate group membership, or other controversial situations. These confrontations often led to shouting, profanities, chair-throwing, fist-fights, pulling of hair by fighting women, and removal of clothing. Female guests also receive 'Jerry Beads' for exposing their breasts to the studio audience, in the style of Mardi Gras revelers. The show garnered huge ratings, and lots of attention. By 1998, it was beating The Oprah Winfrey Show in many cities, and was reaching more than 6.7 million viewers. (Waxman, 1998)

On July 10, 2002, the sons of guest Nancy Campbell-Panitz - who was murdered by her ex-husband after they appeared on a May 2000 episode with his girlfriend - filed suit in Sarasota County against Springer, his producers, and his distributor, claiming he created "a mood that led to murder."^[17] Ultimately, the estate of Ms. Campbell-Panitz dropped all monetary claims against The Jerry Springer Show and the show agreed to waive its claims for malicious prosecution against the personal representative of the estate of Ms. Campbell-Panitz and his counsel.

In 2005, a UK version was shown on ITV1 titled The Springer Show. It beat its talk-show rival Trisha Goddard five to one in the ratings, despite it being a subdued and more tongue-in-cheek version of the U.S. show.^[18]

The VH1 "celebreality" series The Springer Hustle, which took a look at how The Jerry Springer Show is produced, premiered in April 2007.^[19]

Other[link]

Springer in January 2011

Springer hosted America's Got Talent on NBC in the U.S. for two seasons, replacing Regis Philbin,^[20] before leaving to concentrate on other projects.^[21]

From January 17, 2005 to December 5, 2006, Springer hosted Springer on the Radio, a liberal talk show on Cincinnati's WCKY-AM. He did the show from the Clear Channel studios in Kenwood on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and in Chicago (where his television show tapes) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.^[22] Air America Radio syndicated the program for most of the show's run.

In the UK, Springer has hosted The Wright Stuff and 2001's Greed on the UK's Five network as well as 2007's Nothing But the Truth, the UK version of Nada más que la verdad. He also had a late-night talk show. On April 16, 2006, Springer was the guest host for the opening show for the third series of The Friday Night Project for Channel 4 and guest hosted Have I Got News for You on December 12, 2008. Springer has also co-presented UK daytime programme This Morning on ITV. In 2009, Springer appeared as a guest on the long-running British game show Countdown and hosted Miss Universe 2008. He was also the guest host for WWE Raw on February 15, 2010 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Springer has also hosted the live stage show version of The Price is Right.

Since April 19, 2010, Springer has also hosted a dating game show called Baggage, which airs on on GSN.^[23]

Acting career[link]

Springer portrayed his own talk show host character in the 1998 movie Ringmaster,^[24] using the name Jerry Farrelly. Ringmaster offers a behind-the-scenes look at would-be guests who apply to a Springer-like show. The same year, Springer also released an unrelated autobiography named Ringmaster. He quipped, "I can only think of one title a year."^[24]

In 1996, he appeared on an episode of the ninth season of Roseanne and on The X-Files episode "The Post-Modern Prometheus". In 1998, he voiced a cartoon version of himself in the Halloween episode of The Simpsons titled "Starship Poopers". In 1999, he appeared in the episode Mrs. Kraft of the third season of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch with his talk show. In 2004 he was the president of United States of America in a straight to DVD "c" movie "The Defender" directed by Dolph Lundgren. In 2007, he appeared on episode #1301 of MADtv as himself.

Jerry Springer made a cameo appearance in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me as himself during an episode of his show featuring Dr. Evil and his estranged son Scott Evil.

In 1999, he was in an episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

Springer appeared in an episode of Married... with Children as The Masculine Feminist, in which he was for women getting the men's bowling night and eventually taking over at a bowling alley. Al Bundy and his friends tie Springer to a chair and take over his show with a stripper who jumps up and down for the crowd's delight. He was in several episodes of George Lopez as Benny Lopez' ex-boyfriend Wayne and made a July 2007 guest appearance on Days of our Lives as "Pete," a high roller in Las Vegas who helped Nick Fallon win $50,000. On October 19, 2007, Springer made a cameo appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien as a "random" audience member. In June 2009 he appeared in Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre London as Billy Flynn for a short period of time, starring alongside Aoife Mulholland and Leigh Zimmerman.

Springer giving a speech at Emory University in 2007

Springer has been a guest in the following shows: the UK daytime programme The Paul O'Grady Show on Channel 4 on November 12, 2007, Question Time on June 19, 2008, Saturday Kitchen on June 21, 2008 along with chef Theresa Griegson and Kristin Dawson, Verdict with Dan Abrams in June 2008, two appearances on Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 2003 (from the same taping), The Jason Ellis Show on June 20, 2008 and Desert Island Discs on November 1, 2009.He was also in the Wayans Bros.as a cameo.

Springer also Starred opposite Dolph Lundgren in the 2004 film The Defender.

He was interviewed by satirist Chris Morris in his surreal radio series Blue Jam (Series 2, Episode 6). On January 23, 2004, Springer was featured in an episode of This American Life titled "Leaving the Fold".^[25]

Springer appeared in an episode of BBC One's Television Series Who Do You Think You Are? on August 27, 2008^[26] In the episode he traveled to Poland, where he discovered that his maternal grandmother had been sent to Chelmno extermination camp by the Nazis and killed. His paternal grandmother died at Theresienstadt concentration camp in what is now the Czech Republic. He wept openly when he learned of how they died.

Springer appeared on the Chris Moyles Show in April 2009, along with Davina McCall and Alan Carr. On May 31, 2009, Springer was a guest on The Andrew Marr Show talking about politics and his upcoming projects.

Other projects[link]

In the mid-1990s, Springer recorded Dr. Talk, an album that mostly consisted of country music covers.

In late 2006, Springer was a contestant on the third season of Dancing with the Stars, with his professional dance partner, Kym Johnson. He wanted to appear on the show so he could learn the waltz for the wedding of his daughter, Katie.^[22][27] Springer and Johnson were eliminated in the seventh week of competition.^[28]

On May 16, 2008, Springer delivered the Northwestern University School of Law commencement address. Although many students had criticized the University's choice of speaker, he received a standing ovation from about half the audience and reviews of his speech were generally positive.^[29] In a March 2009 interview on Anytime with Bob Kushell, Springer said that in his speech he talked about "the ethical judgments we all have to make in whatever business we go [into].^[30]

Springer is the executive producer of The Steve Wilkos Show, which is hosted by Steve Wilkos, the long-time head of security on his own talk show.

In popular culture[link]

A musical by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas, Jerry Springer: The Opera, is based on his show. It first became popular at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2002. It has since played at the Royal National Theatre and the West End in London before embarking on a UK Tour in 2006. It has recently opened in Chicago, in the US, and will be moving onto regional productions throughout the United States. It was also screened on BBC 2 Television, causing some controversy.^[31] The televised version is now available on DVD.

Springer and his television program are mentioned in Mark Knopfler's song "Devil Baby". The songs "Jerry Springer" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, "Mr Springer" by Fascinating Aïda, "Jerry Rules in the Land of the Free" by the Dutch punk band De Heideroosjes and "Mr. Unfaithful" by the Swedish art-rock band A.C.T were inspired by him. On Jay Z's Blueprint 3 album, Kanye West says "I am never sprung but i spring her (Springer), Jerry" on the song "Hate".

"Dr. Talk" CD 1995 Fiddle Fish Records 8 tracks with 5 duets including "Let It Be Me" with Colene Walters

References[link]

The Jerry Springer Show has been notably denounced by Peter Gabriel in his video, 'The Barry Williams Show'.

Bibliography[link]

• Rebecca Johnson and Kathleen Powers, "Jerry Springer under Siege", Good Housekeeping, September 1998, pp. 114–119.
• John Kieswetter. "Springer ready to take radio show national". The Cincinnati Enquirer. March 21, 2005. D1.
• Allison J. Waldman, "American Pie: The In-Your-Face Success of 'The Jerry Springer Show'", TelevisionWeek, May 8, 2006, p. 31.
• Sharon Waxman. "King of the Trash Heap; Jerry Springer Digs the Dirt On Television". Washington Post, January 20, 1998, p. D1.

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jerry Springer

• Springer on the Radio
• Jerry Springer - the Opera
• Profile: Jerry Springer
• Campaign ad from Governor race
• Jerry Springer at the Internet Movie Database
• "Leaving the Fold", This American Life, January 23, 2004. "[P]roducer Alex Blumberg tells the true story of Jerry Springer's life before he was a talk show host."
• Text from Springer's address at Northwestern Law Convocation
• Mayor Springer