Retro Raunch Revisit

Today marks the 35th anniversary of THE MORTON DOWNEY JR. SHOW (1987) making its TV debut. [The air date -- Oct 19 -- was particularly ominous for it would come to be known as 'Black Monday' due to the stock market causing considerable panic when it fell over 500 points]. Growling Morton Downey Jr. was shock/trash TV before Jerry Springer, and his combative schtick would be to bully & shout. Pandering to his live audience of acolytes & sheep, he typically responded with sarcastic abusive insults to his guests whenever they presented their POV. The very first episode of the talk show had loudmouth opinionated host MDJ covering porn & its accused damaging effects on American society. The pro-adult film industry panel consisted of Seka, Candida Royalle, and Gloria Leonard. During a commercial break, Seka famously walked off the stage after MDJ kept verbally running her down. She was a class act and held her self-respect for the entirety but was clearly sick of his crap and had enough. She did not return. In May 1988, MDJ went national. Viewership was almost exclusively about tuning in for his coarse & disparaging behaviour but widespread critically panned, the show was cancelled in Jul 1989. A lifelong heavy chainsmoker, in Jul 1996 he first had a tumor and then his right lung removed due to cancer which led him to become a staunch anti-tobacco activist. He died in Mar 2001.