RIP Phil Donahue

Ophrah Winfrey's appearance at the Democratic Convention brings to mind the recent death of Phil Donahue. He was a pioneer in daytime talk shows. 

I was not a viewer, including of his MSNBC show (he was allegedly canceled for his opposition to the Iraq War). People who dismiss him as a veteran of "low-brow" entertainment might be missing something.

President Biden's statement after his death noted:

He broadcast the power of personal stories in living rooms across the country, interviewing everyone from our greatest stars to our forgotten neighbors. Insatiably curious and accepting, Phil saw every guest as worthy of interest and worked to build understanding, helping us see each other not as enemies, but as fellow Americans.

Donahue, who was a neighbor of Erma Bombeck (who wrote about suburban home life as well as being a supporter of the ERA), got his start in the Midwest. The first guest on his Dayton talk show was Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the controversial atheist. 

He soon started his policy of directly engaging with the studio audience. Donahue focused on marriage, illness, sexuality, death, and other problems "ordinary" people could discuss. He was not just a pursuer of "shock" material. OTOH:

"Controversy is not a dirty word," he says. "controversy means it's important and it's something that people disagree on." He once said, "If they found Hitler, I'd be the first in line to interview him."

He married his high school sweetheart and had five children (four are still alive). After 17 years of marriage, his wife left him. He met the actress Marlo Thomas while she was a guest. It was apparently love at first sight. They were married for forty-four years. That's rather impressive.

Andy Humm, of Gay USA, wrote about Donahue's impressive GLBTQ activism:

He first had a gay man as his guest on his show in 1968 — before Stonewall — but LGBTQ people were frequent guests over the decades. Having gay people on, he said, taught him about homophobia. 

He told Oprah Winfrey in 2002, “There’s a reason for the closet. As the years went by after that show, I got involved in gay politics. And through my activism, I began to realize what it must be like to be born, to live, and to die in the closet. I can’t even imagine it.”

Donahue talked about AIDS on his show before most people were aware of the disease. He had people on to discuss same-sex marriage in the early 1990s. 

Donahue was Catholic but was a passionate supporter of GLBTQ issues, including marching for their rights. Insiders greatly respected him. Humm's obituary is entitled "TV talk show giant Phil Donahue, peerless ally to LGBTQ community, dies at 88."

Humm discusses Phil meeting his future second wife:

At the end of that show, Donahue grasped her hand and said, “You are fascinating.” Then Thomas grasped his hand and said, “You are wonderful. You are loving and generous and you like women and it’s a pleasure. And whoever is the woman in your life is very lucky!”

Oprah Winfrey has received some pushback for supporting sketchy individuals like "Dr. Oz." Her presence at the Democratic Convention was notable since she was generally apolitical. 

Phil Donahue in some ways perhaps has a more impressive legacy. Again, I was not someone who watches their shows.  (This is not meant to be a dig.)  I was generally aware of his liberal values, including his opposition to the Iraq War. 

He has been away from television for two decades. Many younger people might not really know who he is. He is worth remembering, both for his place in television history, and his overall life's work. 

ETA: A founder of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and an abortion rights activist had a less positive memory of her appearance on the show.