Week 5 Story: The Jerry Springer Show
Jerry: The family who will be joining us today is struggling with a great deal of tension! Their disagreements have completely disrupted their relationship, and their search for answers ends today!
People in the audience clap, cheer, and whistle.
Jerry: In a minute, we are going to have Siddhartha come out, but first, let us take a look at his side of the story.
Camera transitions to a recorded interview of Siddhartha.
Siddhartha: I have lived my whole life away from home. My mother and I were shunned from the kingdom by King Suddhodana. My father believes that my mother was unfaithful to him, and that is how I was conceived. I am here today to prove to my father that I am no bastard child, but that I am his son.
The camera pans back to Jerry and Siddhartha walks out. The crowd stands and cheers.
Jerry: Well Siddhartha, what are you looking to get out of this, once you find out your results?
Siddhartha: Jerry, it's not about vengeance, it's about finding the truth. I would like to come back home, but I have no expectations. I only want to put an end to this conspiracy.
Audience claps
Jerry: We have your results right here, but I would like to bring out your father first. Would that be okay with you?
Siddhartha: Yes, I have no problem with that.
Jerry: Then let's bring King Suddhodana on in.
King Suddhodana walks in, the audience boo's at him, he raises his arms and grins.
Jerry: Welcome, King Suddhodana.
King: Thank you, I am happy to be here today.
Jerry: And why is that?
King: Well, because I believe that my wife cheated on me and I have hated her and her son for it; However, if we can get to the bottom of this, everyone can go about their life as it was before.
Siddhartha: YOU BASTARD! YOU WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO JUST DISAPPEAR, WOULDN'T YOU!?
Kind: Pipe down kid, you just want me because I have good fortune and power.
Siddhartha lunges towards King Suddhodana. The audience starts chanting, "Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!". The show's security guards come out and pull the two apart.
Jerry: We have the answers, no need to get all riled up! Let's get this over with quickly, shall we?
The audience softly claps. Jerry opens the test results.
Jerry: King Suddhodana, you......ARE THE FATHER!
King Suddhodana jumps up and runs to backstage, falls to his knees and starts crying. Siddhartha tears up and slowly walks over to his father. They look at one another and hug each other tightly. The audience goes wild!
*End Show
Author's notes: The original version of this story is from The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold (1922). My story is set in modern times. The only thing I didn't change are the names and that King Suddhodana is Siddhartha's father. In the original story, the King is delighted by the fact his wife, Maya, is pregnant. I thought it would be interesting to look at it from the perspective of a modern society. My guess is, in today's society, not many would believe that a woman got pregnant from the gods or a higher divinity. I chose to set my story in the Jerry Springer Show because this show is all about attempting to resolve the issues amongst a group of people (most of which are paternity tests) and the show can be comical; the funniest part to me is how the audience is over-dramatic reactions to the people on stage.
People in the audience clap, cheer, and whistle.
Jerry: In a minute, we are going to have Siddhartha come out, but first, let us take a look at his side of the story.
Camera transitions to a recorded interview of Siddhartha.
Siddhartha: I have lived my whole life away from home. My mother and I were shunned from the kingdom by King Suddhodana. My father believes that my mother was unfaithful to him, and that is how I was conceived. I am here today to prove to my father that I am no bastard child, but that I am his son.
The camera pans back to Jerry and Siddhartha walks out. The crowd stands and cheers.
Jerry: Well Siddhartha, what are you looking to get out of this, once you find out your results?
Siddhartha: Jerry, it's not about vengeance, it's about finding the truth. I would like to come back home, but I have no expectations. I only want to put an end to this conspiracy.
Audience claps
Jerry: We have your results right here, but I would like to bring out your father first. Would that be okay with you?
Siddhartha: Yes, I have no problem with that.
Jerry: Then let's bring King Suddhodana on in.
King Suddhodana walks in, the audience boo's at him, he raises his arms and grins.
Jerry: Welcome, King Suddhodana.
King: Thank you, I am happy to be here today.
Jerry: And why is that?
King: Well, because I believe that my wife cheated on me and I have hated her and her son for it; However, if we can get to the bottom of this, everyone can go about their life as it was before.
Siddhartha: YOU BASTARD! YOU WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO JUST DISAPPEAR, WOULDN'T YOU!?
Kind: Pipe down kid, you just want me because I have good fortune and power.
Siddhartha lunges towards King Suddhodana. The audience starts chanting, "Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!". The show's security guards come out and pull the two apart.
Jerry: We have the answers, no need to get all riled up! Let's get this over with quickly, shall we?
The audience softly claps. Jerry opens the test results.
Jerry: King Suddhodana, you......ARE THE FATHER!
King Suddhodana jumps up and runs to backstage, falls to his knees and starts crying. Siddhartha tears up and slowly walks over to his father. They look at one another and hug each other tightly. The audience goes wild!
*End Show
Author's notes: The original version of this story is from The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold (1922). My story is set in modern times. The only thing I didn't change are the names and that King Suddhodana is Siddhartha's father. In the original story, the King is delighted by the fact his wife, Maya, is pregnant. I thought it would be interesting to look at it from the perspective of a modern society. My guess is, in today's society, not many would believe that a woman got pregnant from the gods or a higher divinity. I chose to set my story in the Jerry Springer Show because this show is all about attempting to resolve the issues amongst a group of people (most of which are paternity tests) and the show can be comical; the funniest part to me is how the audience is over-dramatic reactions to the people on stage.
Hi, Madison! I really enjoyed reading your story and seeing how you were able to put your own spin on a classic tale. I also really liked how you wrote your story in more of a playwright form instead of a traditional book form. Adding those little details about the camera and what is supposed to be being shown to the audience watching it is a really cool aspect. I have never thought to write a story like that before, but your post has definitely inspired me! I might just have to try writing my own story in the same style as yours, and see how that will go for me! What made you want to write your story in that style? Are you interested in writing plays and shows or movies? What made you want to set your story in the scene of the Jerry Springer Show? I do think that adding more scene setting details, such as what their surroundings look like and the type of lifestyles they are living would add a lot to this story. But, overall, I really enjoyed reading this story and I hope to read more from you throughout this semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Madison,
ReplyDeleteI really liked reading your story because its the first story ive read that takes place in a controversial show such as the Jerry Springer Show. Its very creative how you used that setting to tell the story of The Life of Buddha along with the pregnancy angle portrayed and how it is viewed in a modern society i thought that was very thoughtful and enlightening. Excellent Story!
(I swear I'm not crazy, this is just me trying the "Let's Pretend" idea from the Week 5 project feedback assignment)
ReplyDeleteI think the producers of the Jerry Springer Show cut out some parts to make me look bad. For one thing, why did they cut out the part where I explained that my wife claimed to have become pregnant from some gods. How was I supposed to know that she was telling the truth? She sounded crazy! I guess I should've known that the Jerry Springer Show wouldn't give an unbiased description of both sides. They have to make it more entertaining somehow, I guess. I know I shunned Siddhartha and his mother, but they made me out to be such a bad guy when in reality, I felt hurt and betrayed. I wish they would've had Siddhartha's mother on the show so I could've apologized and maybe the people in the audience wouldn't think so poorly of me.
Hi Madi,
ReplyDeleteWhen i first read the name Siddhartha, it immediately remind me about the story named "The Life of Buddha".
Bring the character to the modern time is a great idea. The show of Jerry Springer today is considered a sad and melancholy show, in which father and son seeks to find the true. However, i don't know why audiences keep cheering and clapping? Should the producers of the show make the show more entertaining ? For a creative storyteller, you are excellent to cultivate the twist here.
However, in the culture perspective, it is kind of weird to bring a "soon to be Buddha" into the context of finding his true father in a TV show.
One more thing, in the Eastern culture, a dream usually is a sign of something good or bad will happen in the future (depends on what kind of dream it is). Therefore, i personally think, she (the mother) got pregnant before dreaming about the the elephant entering her womb.
Hello Madi,
ReplyDeleteI love reading your story. I was so fun to read and took me back to days when I watched Jerry Springer and all the people he brought on his show. I loved how you made the transition from the origin story to your story by making it into the modern touch of the Jerry Springer show. This makes me want to reads your other stories.
Hi Madi! I love the premise of your story... I always like reading stories that are written in an interesting format, as I think it's a nice break from the typical "just plain text" stories I usually write. I thought the scene where they start fighting was perfect for the Jerry Springer Show and added to the feel of the setting!
ReplyDelete