“Divorce Court” Brings Marriage Tensions to the Small Screen
In the headlines, we all see how interesting it can be to watch celebrities like Paul McCartney and Sandra Bullock work through their marital problems.
One way that Hollywood has captured this drama and turned it into entertainment is with court shows. And of all of television’s courtroom shows, “Divorce Court” is the longest-running of them all, capitalizing on the fireworks between couples who are splitting up.
All of the drama that comes when two people make the hard decision to part ways has made for compelling TV.
Since 2006, the host of “Divorce Court” has been Judge Lynn Toler, who is very realistic about the role that her show plays in the lives of its participants. She is a real judge, but it is not a real court, as only a state can legally grant a divorce. The show’s participants, though, do come on to argue about how their property and their money should be divided. And they also get the chance to get a few things off of their chests.
“We talk to people who are upset,” Judge Toler told ABC News. “What the divorce system does these days, it doesn’t allow anybody the emotional period on the marriage sentence. Here [on the show] we give people the opportunity to be heard. Then I decide who gets Fluffy the dog.”
Property, according to the ABC article, is often at the center of divorce disputes.
ABC News also spoke with Helen Fisher, a professor of anthropology and human behavior at Rutgers University, who talked about the importance of property in a divorce.
“I think that property is very important in this day and age,” Fisher said. “It defines you; you worked hard to get it. When you divorce, a lot of people have a lot of battles over their property for good reasons.”
“Divorce Court” has also been known to put on display the racier side of divorce and the spectacle of reality television, all of which is brought together with Judge Toler’s unique brand of insight.
In her opinion, the Internet has changed divorce. In the past, she says, infidelity was not as facilitated as it is now. “From what I see in here it’s a mess,” she said. “Before when you wanted to cheat, you had to go out and meet the person, and now on the Internet you have millions of people at your disposal that could walk into your life. They meet online and she gets on a plane to go see him, and they get married. And she’s wondering why it didn’t work out.”
“Divorce Court” depends on the drama of reality TV, the witty zingers of Judge Toler, and a high level of production efficiency as reasons for its success. The show in its latest iteration has been on the air since 1999, with more than 2,000 episodes.
A number of famous divorcees have graced the studio, from disgraced evangelist Ted Haggard and his wife, to Gary Coleman and his wife.
On why people like to watch the show, executive producer Mark Koberg said that it’s essentially voyeuristic. “I think people really like to see how these people are acting crazy and silly and the funny things they do.”
Toler’s view was somewhat more sensible: “I provide them with some emotional resolution,” she said. As for advice?: “Stay one step ahead of your emotions,” she says, urging couples to think clearly rather than acting impulsively. “If you act on how you feel, you are doing a lot of things that are counterproductive to the marriage.”
