Maury Povich, the show's host.

Maury is a talk show hosted by Maury Povich. The show was created along the same lines as The Jerry Springer Show, with the exception of the subject matter Maury discusses. Although "Maury" is similar to Springer, Povich discourages actual fights, although he seems to encourage verbal aggression among his guests. A majority of his shows deal with issues of sexual infidelity, paternity test results, unusual illnesses or makeovers. Other issues discussed were disturbing moments caught on video tape, whether or not a person is a (transgendered male-to-female) man or woman, obese babies, or little people. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Maury Povich Maurice Maury Richard Povich (born January 17, 1939 in Washington, D.C.) is an American TV talk show host who currently hosts the self-titled Maury. ... The Jerry Springer Show (first aired September 30, 1991) is a television talk show, hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician. ... Adultery is generally defined as consensual sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their lawful spouse. ... A paternity test is conducted to prove that a man is or is not the biological father of another individual. ... Illness can be a synonym for disease or it can be a persons perception of having poor health. ... A makeover is a term applied to changing ones appearance, usually through cosmetics. ... Look up Video in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Video is the technology of capturing, recording, processing, transmitting, and reconstructing moving pictures, typically using celluloid film, electronic signals, or digital media. ... Photograph of a nude man by Wilhelm von Gloeden, ca. ... Image of a nude woman on the Pioneer plaque sent to outer space. ...

When the show first went on the air in 1991, the show was called The Maury Povich Show and was produced by Paramount. The show was revamped in the mid-1990s as The Maury Show, adopting its most recent name in 1998, when Studios USA (now NBC Universal) took over production. Maury is taped at Chelsea Studios, in New York City. 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ...

Common show themes

The Maury Show is very formulaic and most shows follow very similar patterns. In fact, Maury has popularized the semi-catch phrase "You are NOT the father!" which he tells some possible fathers after a DNA test. Genetic fingerprinting or DNA testing is a technique to distinguish between individuals of the same species using only samples of their DNA. Its invention by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester was announced in 1985. ...

• Who's the Baby's Daddy: This type of episode has almost completely dominated the series. A mother will bring her husband or boyfriend onto the show after the male has denied fathering the child. While the male is backstage, the female will describe how the male does not provide any emotional or financial support for the baby, and, often crying, will describe to Maury how she is hurt that the man she once loved could deny their beautiful child. As with the infidelity episodes, a pre-recorded message from the male will be played saying that he does not believe that he is the father. This video is always very hostile, and often includes multiple vulgar insults toward the mother, calling her various names such as "slut" to imply that the child could be of any father. The male will then walk onto the set and is booed by the audience. A picture of the baby juxtaposed next to a picture of the male will appear on a video screen, to which the female will say how she thinks they look exactly alike, and the male will say how they do not look alike at all. In many instances, both the male and female will say that they are "100% sure" that the man is/is not the father. More unpredictable than the infidelity episodes since they are using an actually valid test, sometimes the man is the father, sometimes he is not. Usually, when the man is shown to be the father, he will be forced into saying that he will provide support to the child, but there is usually no follow-up to see if this actually happens. When the man is proven to not be the father, it is common for the women to run off the stage and collapse backstage crying while the man gloats to the audience about being right in a very uncivil manner. Sometimes the men perform dance steps to celebrate the fact that they are not "the baby's daddy."

• Paternity Tests for Mothers Who Cheated (also known as more 'who's the baby's daddy...'): A mother will bring her husband or boyfriend onto the show to admit to him that she cheated on him in the past, and that their child might not actually be his. She will appear on set alone at first, with the male backstage. Unlike other types of episodes, however, the male is secluded and cannot hear what Maury and the woman are talking about. The man was only told that his wife has brought him here to tell him a secret. However, due to the very limited themes of Maury episodes, one might wonder if the man finds it obvious what the secret is before being told. The woman will talk to Maury about the "secret" and we will see a pre-recorded tape by the man, describing how he loves the woman very much and he is shocked and hurt that she has been keeping a secret from him. The man will walk onto the set and this time will be cheered by the audience. The woman will face him, usually say some small talk such as "I love you.." before coming out and saying very slowly that she cheated on him and the child might not be his. The men react in different ways, some more angrily, throwing the chair down and walking offstage, others just staring in an awed silence. He then consents to a paternity test, and we rejoin them two days later where Maury again proclaims that "The results are in!" and reads, "In the case of [age]-year old [name], [male's name], you [ARE/ARE NOT] the father!" which, of course, results in various reactions. Some men will elect to care for the child even if they are not the father, whereas others will request a divorce or time to think it over.

• Infidelity Lie Detector Tests: A male or female guest brings their significant other to the show in order to settle suspicions that the other is cheating. The partner who is accusing the other appears on stage first, discussing with Maury why he or she suspects the other of cheating, and talks about the relationship, while the other is backstage. A pre-recorded video is played of the accused, which is often very angry in nature in which they insist that they are not cheating, yet it is hard to believe they actually do care about their partner from the hostile nature of the video, which often includes insults toward the accusing partner. The accused partner then walks onto the set and is always booed by the audience. After a minute of small-talk, Maury proclaims that the "results are in" and reads off a paper the question that the accused partner was asked (such as "Have you slept with anyone other than your girlfriend/boyfriend?), the accused's response ("To which you answered no") and the polygraph's result ("And the lie detector test determined that was a lie.") In a majority of instances, the accused partner is found to have lied about not cheating, and react to the fact that they were caught in a somewhat apathetic way. In rare occasions, the accused will appear genuinely shocked, and insist that the polygraph result is incorrect, which given the emotional nature of the questions and the generally unreliable nature of the polygraph as a "lie detector", is probably true. In another variation on this theme, Maury will sometimes employ "sexy decoys" who approach the suspected cheating spouse in front of hidden cameras. The suspected cheater almost always makes arrangements to meet later and some men actually begin to fondle the "sexy decoys." Some men claim that they knew that it was all a set-up, but still fondled the sexy decoys.

• Bad Children: A mother, (on occasion a father) brings their child on the show, complaining that the child is disrespectful, and commits many risky behaviors, such as using drugs, swearing for fun, having unprotected sex (in some cases to achieve pregnancy), stealing items at stores, watching pornography, gang fights, and other offensive situations. The child is brought to a "1/2 boot camp" backstage where they are yelled at by motivational speaker D West. Sometimes the children are sent to jail or to a morgue to look at a corpse. On other occasions the bad youngsters are sent to a jail where tough inmates holler at them. Most kids are "turned around" by episodes end.

• Man or Woman: A group of people are brought on the show (some transgendered, others genetic female) and dress up in sexy clothing. The audience then decides if the person is a Man (transgendered) or a (genetic) Woman. Maury walks among the audience insisting that "you don't know..." Most people seem not to know in the long run. The answer is usually revealed at the end of the show.

• Disfigured People: Children (or less commonly, adults) with rare disfigurements or diseases are brought on discuss their life and the social problems they encounter as a result of their disease/disfigurements. Common problems include primordial dwarfism, missing limbs, severe skin problems, and various facial deformities. Often times, these children are given the opportunity to meet others with the same problem, and are given prizes, such as vacations and shopping sprees. Sometimes the children perform songs or dance for the audience.

• Fat Babies: In previous years, Maury has dedicated entire episodes to mothers and fathers who don't know what to do about their child (usually a toddler), who is breathtakingly obese for his/her age and height. Criticism in the mainstream press, and near-constant exposure in magazines such as The National Enquirer have caused Maury to impose a moratorium on such episodes. For many years, the "fat baby" topic and Maury's show were synonymous.

In a religious context, infidelity is an absence of faith in the beliefs or teachings of a religion, such that one who lacks such faith is an infidel. ... Father with child A father is traditionally the male parent of a child. ... Juxtaposition (noun) is an act or instance of placing two things close together or side by side. ... An audience is a group of people who participate in and experience or encounter a work of art, literature, theatre, music or academics in any medium. ... A cartoonish version of the heart, a frequent modern symbol of love. ... A paternity test is conducted to prove that a man is or is not the biological father of another individual. ... Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse, which can be contrasted with an annulment, which is a declaration that a marriage is void, though the effects of marriage may be recognized in such unions, such as spousal support, child custody... Significant Other is the second album by Limp Bizkit. ... Stage has several meanings: In rocketry, a stage is one of several independent rockets used to reduce the need for fuel. ... Apathy is complete lack of emotion or motivation. ... Polygraph results are sometimes recorded on a chart recorder A polygraph or lie detector is a device which measures and records several physiological variables such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and skin conductivity while a series of questions is being asked, in an attempt to detect lies. ... Behavior or behaviour (see spelling differences) refers to the actions or reactions of an object or organism, usually in relation to the environment. ... For other meanings, see boot camp. ... Transgender is generally used as a catch-all umbrella term for a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups centered around the full or partial reversal of gender roles; however, compare other definitions below. ... A male Caucasian toddler child A child (plural: children) is a young human. ... A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... Dwarfism is a condition in which a person, animal or plant is much below the ordinary size of the species. ... A limb (from the Old English lim) is a jointed appendage of the human or animal body; a large or main branch of a tree; a representative, branch or member of a group or organization. ... Diagram of the layers of human skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system made up of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. ... The word facial is concerning anything related to the face. ... A male toddler A female toddler A toddler is a child between the ages of one and three years old, although some may consider a toddler to be between two and five. ... The National Enquirer (also commonly known as The Enquirer) is a national American supermarket tabloid published by American Media Inc (AMI). ...

Less common themes

There are also a few less-raunchy themes that Maury explores on a recurring basis, usually on holidays.

• Moments Caught on Tape: From police chases to brutal attacks caught on tape, Maury often invites hosts of investigative journalism shows or survivors of horrific events to share their stories on his show. Increasingly these segments offer voyeuristic snapshots of men fornicating with prostitutes (caught on tape), cheating spouses confronted after being caught on tape (from the show "Cheaters") and simulated footage of peeping toms.

• Accomplishments of "Little People"

• Talented Children

• Animal expert Jack Hanna comes to the show with animals, normally with one at least urinating on stage.

• Secret Crushes: These episodes focus on people that may or may not have been obese and have secret crushes. The objects of their admiration are eventually introduced to their intended after Maury interviews them.

• High School Bullies: Former High School bullies are reunited with the people they victimized as teenagers. Usually, the victim was obese or "nerdy" and now has transformed into an attractive person. A variation on this theme is transsexualism. Sometimes the victim is a transgendered male-to-female transsexual who reunites with a woman who was kind to her in High School.

• Female-to-Male Transsexuals. In contrast to his sensational and irresponsible treatment of male-to-female transsexuals, Maury usually has a respectful interview show featuring the transition of people born female into men.

A male Caucasian toddler child A child (plural: children) is a young human. ... Monkeys on the Interstate, 1989, by Jack Hanna Jack Hanna (b. ...

Studios

Maury is taped at the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City.

Criticism

Despite the seemingly compassionate attitude of Maury Povich towards his guests, The Maury Show is often accused by critics of exploiting dysfunctional families and minorities and for embracing and sensationalizing some of the worst stereotypes of American society and behavior. Although The Maury Show has a more serious tone and is less raunchy in nature, some critics denounce it as being even worse than other similar talk shows such as The Jerry Springer Show, due to what is perceived as an insincere sympathy for the guests. Whitney Matheson wrote about the show in her USA Today column, "Povich's talk show is, without a doubt, the worst thing on television. Period. Don't be fooled by the pressed shirt and pleated khakis, Maury is miles further down the commode than Jerry Springer." In his 2005 book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America, author Bernard Goldberg lists host Maury Povich at #31, writing "I understand that many of you may find this hard to believe, since Povich is supposed to be far more respectable. He's an ex-newsman, after all, turned talk-show host. But the fact is, Maury is just as smarmy as Jerry and also very much in the exploitation-of-losers business, making lots of money off people whose lives are in some form of chaos or another. And like Jerry, Maury does the usual staples of trash TV shows. He did one, for example, about women who are having sex with their daughter's boyfriends." Similarly, Maury's "Man/Women" shows has drawn widespread criticism from the Transgendered community because of the inappropriate behavior that it teaches. Povich never attempts to contextualize any of his topics and the show is devoid of any sort of social commentary. Maury's show seemingly encourages guests to live pathological lifestyles with its endless procession of trampy unmarried mothers and men suspected of fathering many children out of wedlock, admonitions to inappropriate behavior "it's a man!" and celebrations of sexual infidelity. The Jerry Springer Show (first aired September 30, 1991) is a television talk show, hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician. ... USA Today is a national American newspaper published by the Gannett Corporation. ... 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America is a book by Bernard Goldberg that was published in 2005. ... Maury Povich Maurice Maury Richard Povich (born January 17, 1939 in Washington, D.C.) is an American TV talk show host who currently hosts the self-titled Maury. ...

South Park Parody

In Episode 601 of the TV series South Park, "Freak Strike", the boys sign up their friend Butters to appear on The Maury Show as a child with his testicles on his chin, as part of a scheme to receive prizes from the show. Cartman also gets in on the act appearing in drag and announcing "it's my hot body and I do what I want..." The episode serves as a commentary on how Maury exploits and trivializes the plights of real people. South Park is an American animated television series created, written and voiced by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. ... Freak Strike is episode 601 of the Comedy Central series South Park. ... Leopold Butters Stotch (voiced by Matt Stone) is a fictional character in the animated series South Park. ... Eric Theodore Cartman, voiced by Trey Parker, is a fictional character in the animated series South Park. ...

External links

• Official Website
• The Maury Show at The Internet Movie Database