European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 08, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse W 7v what s next after Baring their souls by Wendy Hundley Cox news service Anclle Keith Steps onstage and faces 300 members of a Tough new York to audience. Of my god the 12-year-old girl from Dayton Ohio says in a frightened whisper. Her vulnerability quickly vanishes when the to camera moves in for a close up. Suddenly she s the Star of the my child is underaged & oversexed Epi Sode of the Gordon Elliott to talk show last novem Ber. This Blond haired Apple cheeked pre teen reveals that she has already had five lovers ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. When the audience gasps the youngster defiantly announces that she s mature enough to handle sex. Besides it s her life. Welcome to the world of the to talk show. Fea Turing the shocking and the bizarre these shows have become Staples of daytime Tvr but what happens after the cameras Stop rolling do the guests regret Baring their souls to millions of viewers or do they savor their Brush with Fame it has Only been two months since Danielle s to appearance and she has ambivalent feelings about the experience. Not surprisingly she has been the talk of her school. Younger kids asked for her autograph. Pc pie stared and whispered when she walked by. People that i Don t even know would say you re the Little slut on to " Danielle says she has been in several fights Over the comments. Still she says some Good has come from it. She has been helped by the counselling sessions arranged by the Gordon Elliott show through children s medical Center. Does that mean she s no longer sexually Active i m not saying that. I m not As sexually Active As i to be sure the family did t need the Gordon Elliott show s intervention to get therapy for the youngster. But Charlene Keith Danielle s Stepmother says counselling was offered during her first conversation with a show producer. That s the main reason i wanted logo she in lists. I thought it would Shock some sense into Danielle. I Don t know if it s helped much or Michelle Zengel of Centerville Ohio in t ambivalent about her to talk show experience. She wishes she d never appeared on Geraldo three years ago. I did t realize How Many people watch that show. I heard about it for at least a she answered a personals and in Usa today for _ women who hate men without realizing it was a to talk show solicitation a former Boyfriend had stolen her belongings depicted her checking account and placed unauthorized purchases on her credit cards. She was fuming _ and ready to Tell All. After a couple of months a Gera co represent a live called and asked her to tape an episode about women who Are used by men. Even though she tend to disguise her identity by styling her hair differently and wearing sunglasses her friends family and even strangers recognized her. _ _ _ she was embarrassed by everyone knowing she was used Boyfriend she also Felt used by Gera do. Before the show she talked with another guest in the Green room. When she appeared onstage Geraldo Rivera seemed to know things she d revealed Only in that conversation. _ a How docs Geraldo Rivera shown Here taking aim at weapons in a 1989 show handle his guests i think the Green room was bugged she says. Looking Backlin the experience she agreed to do the show because of the lure of a free trip to new York and the thought of being on the Perks of tvs Alk shows Are indeed incentives for participating. Guests receive celebrity treatment. Russell Elias for instance is glad he appeared on the Jane Whitney show last june. That s How he and his Roommate received a free three Day two night trip to new York and $100 each in spending Money. A lot of people Goon these shows just far the trip to new York and i m one of them the Dayton res ident says candidly. ,. He had another motivation for appearing on the show i thought of i enough. I might get discovered. /. While Steven Spielberg has t called i thought. Niy acting Vas pretty Good. -.,. On the my mute or Roommate is a failure Epi Sode Elias fumed against his Roommate and made him look like a " it was charade Elias says. While he arid Bis nominate have had some disagreements we get along Fine ". _./, _. To make the show interesting the producers prompt you. They Tell you not so much what to say but How to say in during the commercial Breaks they re out there spurring you on saying you have _ to explode on stage _ they try to get you angry ahead of time. They Tell you to interrupt people. To speak loudly. To visually show your anger almost to the Point to attacking the other although guests must sign a form attesting to the truthfulness of their comments they really Don t care if it s True or afterwards Elias and the other guests on the show went out to dinner and admitted they All did it for the free trip to new York Elias said. The experience has left him sceptical of All to talk shows i think they re the Jane Whitney show did t return phone Calk a of comment on these allegations. This May not be the end of any of the talk show " car cars for Elias or other Dayton area residents who / have appeared on them. Danielle the 12-year-old girl who revealed her sex life on television says she has been contacted by Oprah Winfrey s show about an appearance. Michelle Zengel would consider going on another show to discuss a serious topic. Although Elias has contacted the Refonda show about an appearance he has some reservations l i Don t want to verbally massacre someone again Elias says. I Don t know if i can stretch the truth like i did before.". Page 22 sunday january 8.1995
