UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Stand-Up Justice / Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7j44c32j Author Perez, James M. Publication Date 2014 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Stand-Up Justice A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Communication by James M. Perez Committee in charge: Professor Patrick Anderson, Chair Professor Camille Forbes Professor John McMurria Professor Carol Padden Professor Michael Parrish Professor Olga Vasquez 2014 Copyright James Michael Perez, 2014 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of James Michael Perez is approved, and is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Chair University of California, San Diego 2014 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page…………………………………………………………………… iii Table of Contents………………………………………………………………… iv Vita……………………………………………………………………………….. vii Abstract of the Dissertation………………………………………………………. viii INTRODUCTION…………………..………………………..…………………... 1 1. Finding my way………………………………………………………... 4 2. Just variations on a theme……………………………………………… 9 3. The question…………………………………………………………..... 16 4. History……………………………………..…………………………… 18 5. Language………………………………………………………….……. 23 6. Justice is blind: objectivity v. subjectivity……………………….…….. 27 7. Television & identity politics………………………………….……….. 31 CHAPTER 1: The History of Reality Television: The rise of reality television courtroom programming………………………………………………………….. 34 1. Reality………………………………………………………………….. 39 2. Ladies & gentlemen, no pictures please……………………………….. 41 3. What is really going on in the courts?………………………………….. 46 4. Ralph Edwards & Stu Billet productions………………………………. 48 5. Enter Joseph A. Wapner……………….………………………………. 49 6. The rise and fall of the People’s Court………………………………… 52 7. True story……………………………………………………………… 55 iv 8. Try that in heels……………………………………………………….. 57 CHAPTER 2: Linguistic Performance: Television judges ruling with humor…… 60 1. Here comes the (comical) judge……………………………………….. 61 2. Judge Judy: linguistic aggression……………………………………… 67 3. Denis Leary…………………………………………………………….. 70 4. Judge Judy: the tough ‘guy’……………………………………………. 71 5. Witness take the stand: imagined audience……………………………. 73 6. Call and answer: language as style…………………………………….. 75 7. Judge Joe Brown: What’s the deal with…?……………………………. 78 8. Bill Cosby………………………………………………………………. 80 9. Judge Joe Brown……………………………………………………….. 82 10. Judge David Young: neurotica……………………………………….. 84 11. Ant…………………………………………………………………….. 87 12. Judge David Young and anxiety………………………………………. 89 13. Judge Cristina Perez: deadpan delivery……………………………….. 93 14. Anjelah Johnson……………………………………………………….. 95 15. Cristina’s Court………………………………………………………... 98 16. Conclusion: the moral dilemma……………………………………….. 101 CHAPTER 3: The Case of Liberalism v. Neoliberalism: Ideologies in real, and reality television, courtrooms………………………………………………… 104 1. What is liberalism?…………………………………………………….. 105 2. The problem with legal liberalism…………………...………………… 109 3. Liberalism to neoliberalism………………………...………………….. 112 v 4. Performing legal liberalism in a ‘real’ court…………………...………. 114 5. Judge Wapner and legal liberal justice in the 1980s…………………… 123 6. Entertaining fissures in court objectivity………………………………. 128 7. Ethical judgments of character and neoliberal justice………………….. 130 8. Conclusion: what is at stake?…………………………………………… 139 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………… 141 1. The impact of reality TV courtroom in America………………………. 142 2. Catchphrase: color and culture; language and race…………………….. 151 3. I see the future and it will be……………………………...……………. 164 Works Cited………………………………………………………………………. 174 vi VITA 2003 Bachelor of Arts, California State University, Long Beach 2005 Master of Arts, California State University, Long Beach 2006-2009 Teaching Assistant, Department of Communication, University of California, San Diego 2009-2013 Teaching Assistant, Sixth College, University of California, San Diego 2013 Instructor, Concorde Career College of San Diego 2014 Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, San Diego PUBLICATIONS “Confronting the Human Body in the (Waste) Abjection of Reality Television Courtroom.” Intersection Health. 1. Major Field: Communication Linguistics Professors Carol Padden, Olga Vasquez Critical Legal Studies Professors John McMurria, Michael Parrish Performance Studies / Television Studies Professors Patrick Anderson, Camille Forbes, John McMurria vii ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Stand-Up Justice by James M. Perez Doctor of Philosophy in Communication University of California, San Diego, 2014 Professor Patrick Anderson, Chair This dissertation examines the performances of reality television courtroom judges through the frames of television studies, linguistics, and critical legal studies to comment on what justice is, how justice functions within this genre, and the greater societal impact of these programs in America. In my research I draw a connection between the linguistic practices of the stand-up comedian and reality television viii courtroom judges, such as Judge Judy, in that both verbally chastise their audience, whether it is a heckler or a litigant who has committed the deplorable act of not returning a video rental on time. Although judicial programs, such as Judge Judy, appear to be little more than a cheaply mass-produced form of mindless entertainment, the genre of reality courtroom television has seeped into the real world and become a phenomenon that actively situates the practice of justice in America. The language of moral condemnation and humor, extensively performed by television judges, is evident within ‘real’ courtroom hearings when judges prefaced how the justice system works, and does not work, using reality courtroom programs as a common reference point for the layperson. This question of how the comedic spectacle has entered into sacred places, such as the courtroom, and impacted the American judicial practice has led me to think about how the sensationalism of celebrities can offer potential sites for social formations to occur as well. ix INTRODUCTION You feel there’s something calling you; you’re wanting to return…a place you can escape the world. - Geddy Lee (Rivendell) The genre of reality television entered the American landscape some 20 years ago and, with it, ushered in a billion dollar industry that has grown to phenomenal heights. Within this genre lies the reality television courtroom program giving birth to such household names as Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown. At the heart of a reality television courtroom program is conflict, and conflict feeds a very basic need of our psyche (Guthrie, 1938; Churchman, 2013). The desire to fight or watch others fight has been present since the dawn of civilization and brings to light the old adage that ‘nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd.’ When groups of people are living in close quarters with one another there is going to be disagreement over issues ranging from land boundaries to murder. Some type of leader, or leaders, must be appointed in such societies in order to deal with such conflict and render verdicts; typically, such matters would be decided publically to ensure that citizens understood the laws of the land (Diamond, 1997). By clearly marking what is acceptable or unacceptable behavior, a society could continue without chaos. Citizens of a particular society would not simply be witness to a trial for the sake of learning about laws, but because trials are genuinely entertaining and provide satiety of a need to see justice unfold and, at a very basic level, see a wrongdoer be served a fair punishment. This is evidenced relatively early in world history with Ancient Greece 1 2 performing plays, such as The Oresteia, which feature a lengthy courtroom scene that teach citizenship and the laws of Greece but also features characters and situations that are intriguing. Reality television courtroom programs tap into this ancient, yet still relevant, idea of conflict and present it in a modern day courtroom setting with the larger than life personalities of such individuals as Judge Judy or Judge Joe Brown. How is it that contemporary reality television judges are able to present legal information to a culture that dreads attending jury duty, maintain their attention, and keep them coming back for more? Figures such as Judge Judy firmly sit parallel to other television giants such as Oprah or Dr. Phil in terms of popularity and earning power. However, Judge Judy also sits parallel to other reality television personalities who are known for their crass and over-the-top antics, such as Jerry Springer or Snooki from the shows Jersey Shore and Snooki & Jwoww. So, here sit reality television courtroom judges in a liminal space in which they deal with the dramatic elements of daytime talk shows but also deal with the sensationalism of reality TV, often referenced as trash TV. A program like Judge Judy is similar to a daytime talk show such as Dr. Phil in that both offer individuals some type of analysis of their circumstances; Dr. Phil (Dr. Philip McGraw) was once an actual practicing psychologist who now offers psychological counsel for those who have suffered a traumatic event, such as a death in the family, while Judge Judy (Judge Judith Sheindlin) was once an actual practicing judge who now offers legal counsel for those seeking resolution