Steve Wilkos is more than the big, bald man who throws chairs.
Before the height of his fame, the man can boast of several accomplishments. He is a former Chicago cop, Marine, and bodyguard for Jerry Springer’s show.
Obviously, he is a hard-working man, and his character spills into his personal life, too. His wife, Rachelle, is an executive producer for The Jerry Springer Show and her husband’s program, The Steve Wilkos Show. He and his wife build their brand together, so their two children can have a bright future.
While his fans are enraptured by his charisma and content on-screen, his critics wag their fingers at his exploitation.
“Do we want to help people with the show? Yes. But the only way I’m ever going to be able to help people is if the show is entertaining and people tune in. So are we exploiting them for ratings? Yes. Are we exploiting them as human beings just to exploit them? No,” Wilkos asserts.
He has to direct a television show interesting enough for viewers to watch. Like Dr. Phil, Wilkos exploits the mentally ill, people in poverty, and teenagers under eighteen. However, he seems like he has a genuine interest in them and a genuine passion for justice. Unlike Dr. Phil, Wilkos will show emotion strong enough, loud enough, and entertaining enough for viewers to not just hear, but listen.
He covers topics from cheating scandals to sexual assault, and each episode usually exposes a dangerous man or woman. He can not only help his guests with their hurt or trauma, but he can help his audience with his episodes messages.
For example, in one episode, Wilkos deals with a woman and her two husbands. One husband is, as Wilkos says, “pathetic,” and the other husband is, as Wilkos says, a “creep.”
Even though he shouts his blunt opinions, he always gives his guests some sound counsel.
He tells the “pathetic” husband to “grow a backbone.” He wants the spouse to have self-respect for himself, but his advice is given to his viewers, also.
Wilkos has his faults, but his genuine care, concern, and compassion for others is translated through the screen.
Thank you, Steve.
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