Dead at age 88. Largely forgotten now, he pioneered the day time television talk show, appealing to stay at home women of the day. Most of his shows dealt with non-political topics. He was a fairly predictable liberal Democrat of that period, and a fallen away Catholic. He and his first wife had five kids. He and his second wife, Marlo Thomas, had no children.
His show lasted for 29 years, ending in 1996, which is quite a record. I appeared on his show in 81 along with other members of the Young Americans for Freedom from the University of Illinois. I found him to be charismatic, and a consummate show man. His attempt to restart his show in 2002 on MSNBC was unsuccessful.
His death demonstrates to me the swift passage of time and how fleeting is fame. I hope in his exit interview with Christ, he restrained old instincts and let the Lord do all the talking.
The last show I remember from him, he was on the problem of children born with mixed genital characteristics
Once again he seemed to be questioning maybe God’s goodness or providential care
The show made me realize that following the skeptics was not good for me- better to decide to accept His Divine Authority and Mystery
I’ll pray for his soul.
Ratings are a sort of idol imo.
They direct the conversation, or rather, they can dominate a spirit. As worldly lenses are used the Truth becomes non-relevant and in the worse case scenario the Truth becomes used to promote activities that go against the Truth.
Oprah Winfrey did that dance and her disingenuous witness did nothing to advance Christ, instead, it brought about misconceptions.
By the time I was aware of him he was mostly political, and by the end of my college days, beginning to fall into that Jerry Springer type of show (I recall one episode focused on interviewing porn stars who gave tips for those who would like to make their own porn movies). I remember being aware of his Catholic identity, but never knew it to be something he wasn’t active in. I just know he forged the way for the rest of the daytime shows which helped bring leftwing activism into the living room, and set the stage that Rush Limbaugh would capitalize on by giving a decidedly not liberal take on the same topics.
Marlo Thomas had run the clock out on her fertility by the time she married him.
IMO, one should be very sparing in using terms like ‘charisma’ and ‘charismatic’.
My memory of him dates to ca. 1979. He was not a purveyor of a particular political viewpoint but he was a purveyor of a social and cultural one. He was in favor of dispensing with reticence and discretion, improving the status of the freakish, and diminishing the status of the normal. (I remember my father in a state of irritation about Donahue’s posturing contra a member of the audience who complained about mass immigration). Charles Krauthammer in his days as a dissenting psychiatrist and dissenting Democrat referred to the archetypal Donohue guests as ‘transvestite axe murderers’. The show could be engaging on occasion. I recently encountered on Youtube an old episode of The Mike Douglas Show. The genre was better than I thought at the time and better than I remember (Douglas’ show was more oriented toward celebrity guests).
From the obituaries, it’s a reasonable inference he’d been disappearing into dementia.
He once described the more sensational talk shows like Jerry Springer as the “illegitimate children” of his show.
….Jerry Springer as the “illegitimate children” of his show.
I wonder if Dick Cavett or Marv Griffin felt that way about him?
Jerry Springer was one notch below Maury Povich. What Chuck Berry, Gong Show, was to family entertainment, Jerry Springer was to talk shows.
Now, the pure propaganda machine known as The View, has nothing to do with clear vision, but only tries to convince it’s viewers that dark and dingy caverns are inspiring dramatic vistas upon which to guide one’s ill formed conscience.
Whoopi Goldberg. A modern day unknown comedian minus the paperbag with the holes cut out for the eyes.
Never thought much of Phil Donohue or his show from the few shows I viewed. When I read way back when that he divorced his wife who gave him 5 children I decided he was a jerk, especially after he had a relationship with show guest Marlo Thomas and subsequently married her. Like Biden “he did not think it was necessary to have his first marriage annulled”. Donohue was awarded the “Maggie”. That’s an award the Planned Parenthood hands out in the name of their saint Margaret Sanger.
Merv Griffin had a more interesting life. I wasn’t a day time viewer but he had shows in prime time also. Merv had the Midas touch. He progressed from having basic entry jobs, to singing with bands, to having a long running talk show to inventing multiple game shows and to owning real estate holdings that made him a billionaire. He was generous to charities. Griffin was buried out of The Church of Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills.
Haven’t read where O’Donohue will be buried. Hope he came back to the church for his soul’s sake.
When I read way back when that he divorced his wife who gave him 5 children I decided he was a jerk
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More often than not, wives are the plaintiffs in divorce suits, especially when there are children. Their subsequent arrangements were unusual. They split the children up and she decamped to Albuquerque with their daughter, while the sons stayed with him in Chicago.
Marlo Thomas has her detractors:
https://www.amazon.com/That-Girl-Phil-Insider-Household/dp/0312051697/ref=sr_1_1?crid=STKZS532YB3T&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aA2lqZ8GUy0ohoA4l6e8XYJO99oZyiGg7W5yuGZ-8OOBmfJwy1Bqg_IEbWExUaSrVrhFQF-9ChCvqKd-5dQeQYFXMJ-kfKSx9WUN9dD7H2VBBqi6upt6qwearHRZjB3eme8p3ZOEqRNmkFtmXgXSXg.aJ2amBkFEXiTKGmyxD21uYX0ZWB91G_g0W1R-0nMNms&dib_tag=se&keywords=that+girl+and+phil&qid=1724098362&s=books&sprefix=that+girl+and+phil%2Cstripbooks%2C78&sr=1-1
Those of a certain age will get this joke: one of David Letterman’s Top Ten Lists in the 80s was “Top Ten Rejected Donahue Show Topics”, and among them was “Women Who Can’t Forget Ted Bessell”.
Marlo Thomas commissioned a book several years ago on congenial marriage. She had her byline and that of her husband slapped on it and the two answered questions on one of the morning shows in March 2021. She’d had so much cosmetic surgery done over the years she’d acquired that Joan Rivers look. He could speak but sounded remarkably creaky, but lacked what you’d expect if it was Parkinson’s ailing him. I’m guessing he was in a wheelchair as he was at his Medal of Freedom ceremony a few months back (where he did not utter a word nor did he visibly react to the proclamation read).
Don’t be mislead by the photo.
Our Cornpop hero is not attaching a medal of honor. He is hair-diving again. What is that? Prell?
He never impressed me as very masculine. Sort of like Dick Cavett, 70s ‘I’m too intellectual for you’ type. Catholic Lite, of course.
But, Ok fine, RIP.
I’m not seeing why Donohue reminds you of Dick Cavett. Dick Cavett sat in his chair, offered amiable interviews of his subjects, was never loud, and had an ironic detachment from the subject matter. He also did not favor freaks.