You know what people say to me when I tell them I like Jerry Springer? First most people snarl in disgust, taking the obligatory step back to make sure I see the full effect of their distorted face. Then they loudly ask me some version of the question, "Why the heck do you watch that stuff?"

The funny thing is, the most common statement they make after that is, "I watched this one ridiculous show where this girl had an affair with. . ." Then we all laugh and have a good time thinking about how this 23-year-old slightly overweight girl in her underwear could have fallen in love with her ex-lover's grandfather. The very same person who just insulted me for watching Springer is laughing about an episode he/she saw.

Sure, the show is stupid, and so are most of the guests, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have any merit. There are issues hidden in the shows, if you can seek them out. I swear.

For instance, in almost every episode, someone is cheating on someone else. Of course, Springer wouldn't host these guests if their story didn't involve something extreme, but the fundamentals are all there.

And the beauty of the show is, the guests don't hold back. They throw chairs, they yell, scream, take off their clothes and shout obscenities. All the things we wanted to do when Mr./Miss Ex cheated on us (except maybe the stripping part but especially the chair-throwing part.) And, not only do we get to watch these two people act out our own repressed aggressions, but it's funny at the same time.

The show also confronts homosexuality. It may not be the best representation of the gay community, but it's not the best of the straight one either. The guests who come out on the show are generally proud of their homosexuality, they want to tell the world and they are not ashamed. Maybe Bill's decision to cheat on his trailer-park girlfriend was not the most ethical choice, but at least he's not afraid to tell people he is gay.

Ironically, we can talk about celebrities cheating, divorcing, abusing substances and committing various crimes and call that "entertainment news," but when it comes to so-called low-class, uneducated people baring their souls, well that's just trash.

It's a double standard, and the added irony is that we are represented more by Springer guests than by millionaire celebrities. Upper-class entertainment news is usually brushed squeaky-clean by some public relations agent, who would lose his or her job if it were released that Nicole Kidman left Tom Cruise because she wanted to marry, say, his 3-foot cousin Bob. It's not the whole truth—it's not real life.

And, in fact, many of us want Bob, Bob of course representing all those odd things we desire or do and never tell anyone about. Springer guests are not afraid.

Maybe it's because they are not smart enough to keep things to themselves, but they deserve kudos for their courage. It's not easy to get up on national television and tell the world you have a vomit fetish, no matter how "slow" you may be.

I think Springer hits the nail on the head himself, in his movie Ringmaster. People are always quick to judge Springer guests as being "white trash," "easy," or "fickle," while the real reason we are so attracted to watch the show is because we empathize, on some level, with what the guests are going through.

While our desires and shortcomings are usually not even near the level of the show's guests, their origins are the same. And, people who refuse to recognize this and immediately judge the show as trash are simply unable to acknowledge their own inner strange quirks.

I'm not saying we are all destined to be future Springer guests, nor am I implying that we all desire to cheat on our significant others, sell our bodies for money or rub fruit on ourselves. This, as I've said, is an extreme. But I do believe that inside us all is some quirk we would never reveal to anyone, except maybe a soulmate.

This quirk could be something as banal as having to put on your left shoe before your right, but the Springer show brings this private thought and throws it in your face. He confronts the issues, however bizarre they may seem and makes an uncomfortable topic, our sexuality, something to be talked about.

So I say to all you Springer-critics, give the show a try.

You might learn something about yourself.