Truly, she is America's Judge

June 26, 2019 10:51 AM

Judge Judy’s Lifetime Achievement Is Teaching Us to Laugh at the Less Fortunate The 1993 Los Angeles Times article that first brought Judith Sheindlin national attention begins with the case of a crack-addicted mother who gave birth in a bathroom, unattended. The mother pushed, and her infant fell to the floor and broke his skull. Sheindlin, then a Manhattan Family Court judge, wondered aloud if there was anything to be done about the woman. A moment later, she clarified: “Can we stop her from populating half the planet?” Stories like this are noticeably absent from Jazmine Hughes’ glowing New York Times Magazine story about Sheindlin, which devoted several paragraphs to her new hairstyle (a clip-on ponytail) but none to the allegations that dogged her throughout her career: that she is both racist and profoundly contemptuous of the poor.

Judge Judy's own books lay out her malignant philosophy.

Sheindlin’s books give a startling look into how her mind works, and what they reveal is disturbing. They traffic in two major stereotypes that have been rightfully maligned as racist, as well as untrue. The first is the 1990s bogeyman, the superpredator, a species of (usually black) juvenile delinquents—she literally describes them as a “new breed”—so fundamentally without conscience that they needed to be locked up rather than make any attempt at reform. In writing about them, she reduces them to numbers, her contempt practically oozing: “First up is Elmo, fifteen, who weighs 160 pounds and has an IQ of 90.” What we’re supposed to make of his fairly average weight and IQ, I’m not sure, but it’s clear that she thinks both render him somehow subhuman.

The second stereotype is the welfare queen, an epithet Sheindlin applies to foster parents. She reserves particular vitriol for “kinship” foster parents: grandparents or other family members who cannot afford to care for their relative’s children without help from the government. She tells an almost certainly apocryphal story about a kinship foster parent with a black AmEx card that Sheindlin notes she herself couldn’t qualify for.

posted by Homo neanderthalensis (45 comments total)

My mom is/was a big fan and its hard not to see her show as COPS for a slightly more up/midscale audience.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 10:57 AM on June 26, 2019 [13 favorites]

Someone declaring their love for Judge Judy is absolutely one of my checkboxes for "I am going to dislike this person"
posted by FritoKAL at 11:01 AM on June 26, 2019 [43 favorites]

Byrd needs to write a book.
posted by sageleaf at 11:01 AM on June 26, 2019 [5 favorites]

Although the Times profile briefly raises the issue of systemic injustice, Sheindlin responds that she considers the subject “beyond my pay grade” and can only reckon with the defendant in front of her.

Pay grade, huh? I get the dead tree NYT on Sundays because I like a physical paper with my Sunday coffee, and my constant eye-rolling while reading the magazine piece jarred loose this stat, which has stuck with me for years. It appeared in Harper's Index sometime in 2007:

Amount by which the salary of Judge Judy exceeds the salaries of all nine Supreme Court judges combined: US $26 million.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:11 AM on June 26, 2019 [56 favorites]

The "Judge Judy and executioner" line from Hot Fuzz does require that Judge Judy (or at least some show featuring a Judge Judy if not this Judge Judy) exist, though. And I always giggle at that line.
posted by asperity at 11:14 AM on June 26, 2019 [18 favorites]

Judge Judy is always contemptuous and often flat-out wrong.
posted by grumpybear69 at 11:16 AM on June 26, 2019 [8 favorites]

Everything about her is the exact kind of person who considers being unable to scream racial slurs at people without being thought poorly of to be a form of oppression.
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:22 AM on June 26, 2019 [25 favorites]

I recently watched a whole bunch of Judge Faith, a Judge Judy-style show that is available on Amazon Prime. I...don't feel great about it, but I'm admitting it because I was struck by the difference in tone between Judge Faith and Judge Judy.

In particular, Judge Faith doesn't go after people for needing assistance, for having money trouble, etc. The tone can often still be pretty lecturing, especially toward people who have screwed others over, but I think it the difference shows that Judge Judy goes over and beyond what is demanded by "reckoning with the defendant before her," even for the sake of the genre.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 11:22 AM on June 26, 2019 [2 favorites]

It's pretty clear when you watch Judge Judy that she thinks poor people could just try harder, work more jobs, and then their lives would be fine. Failure is only due to laziness, in her eyes. I wonder if she was more empathetic before she did years and years in family court and got obviously jaded by it all (I've never read anything by or about her.) I never picked up the racism though and now I'm thinking I need to think about why I missed it.

I do like that she supports fathers' equal rights and responsibilities to their kids though. I always thought it seemed oddly progressive from her.
posted by stillnocturnal at 11:25 AM on June 26, 2019 [5 favorites]

My cousin grew up with her son, and apparently she's just as much of a nightmare in person as she is on tv.
posted by Ragged Richard at 11:27 AM on June 26, 2019 [7 favorites]

Judge Judy has been bullying, mocking and insulting the poor her whole life. She's a hypocrite and I firmly believe there's an extra-crispy dungeon cell waiting for her in the ultra-hot wing of hell.
posted by allkindsoftime at 11:33 AM on June 26, 2019 [7 favorites]

I do like that she supports fathers' equal rights and responsibilities to their kids though. I always thought it seemed oddly progressive from her.

Well, two things, First, the last I heard fathers who seek partial or full custody in divorces get it most of the time and the greater number of women having custody post-divorce comes from most men not seeking it. Second, the idea that family courts are overwhelmingly hostile to men is a super-popular idea in the manosphere so it's not surprising to see a right-wing asshole make it something she's prominent about.
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:34 AM on June 26, 2019 [50 favorites]

I've caught it only a few times,enough to think she's mean and contemptuous.
posted by theora55 at 11:34 AM on June 26, 2019

It was and is terribly inappropriate for a judge to treat any person who comes before the court with contempt, much less people vulnerable enough to be in family court. Boot her into the sun.
posted by praemunire at 11:38 AM on June 26, 2019 [19 favorites]

Yeah Pope Guilty, there is that. I felt it as an antidote to "babies are automatically a woman's job!" but of course like most things, the right-wing makes it a toxic cess-pool. I was thinking more of societal acceptance than the courts - I've read enough stories about men being seen as "babysitting" their own kids.

I probably projected a whole lot of goodwill there, though, given her other views.
posted by stillnocturnal at 11:46 AM on June 26, 2019 [3 favorites]

hard not to see her show as COPS for a slightly more up/midscale audience

Where does mefi put Law and Order (original) within this moral calculus? Asking for a friend (really).
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 11:47 AM on June 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

The real tragedy here is that Judy is not the exception by any stretch when it comes to classist, racist, morally bankrupt judges; she's just one of the few we get to witness behaving this way on television.
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 11:52 AM on June 26, 2019 [30 favorites]

She came to speak at my law school back in the day. She's a real piece of shit tbh and with a HUUUGE ego. None of this surprises me.
posted by zdravo at 11:55 AM on June 26, 2019 [4 favorites]

I binged-watched a marathon of Judge Judy episodes while caring for an ailing elderly relative last year... one thing that truly bugged me was her "MOVE!" admonishment when a tenant was suing a landlord for less-than-stellar living conditions. Of course it never occurs to her that folks who are lucky enough to pay their monthly rent don't have huge savings account in reserve so that they can pay first/last month's rent plus security deposit (not to mention actual moving expenses, hauling the few worldly belongings you have, etc). She never deigns to concede that it's as easy as 1-2-3 to pick up and move house and home every time your landlord won't fix an overflowing toilet or leaky roof.
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:56 AM on June 26, 2019 [28 favorites]

First, the last I heard fathers who seek partial or full custody in divorces get it most of the time

Do you have a source for this?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 12:06 PM on June 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

MetaFilter: None of this surprises me.
posted by Fizz at 12:09 PM on June 26, 2019 [5 favorites]

Although the Times profile briefly raises the issue of systemic injustice, Sheindlin responds that she considers the subject “beyond my pay grade”

Sheindlin is the highest-paid TV host and reputedly worth $420 million.
posted by Doktor Zed at 12:22 PM on June 26, 2019 [4 favorites]

she explains, don’t have a full set of teeth, so the show buys them a pair for their appearance—or paints their teeth if they’re rotten and discolored from drug use. They might also take them to a hairdresser or barber, and they provide clothes that look nice but not too nice.

“If you saw what America actually looks like, you’d be horrified,” Houston says. “You wouldn’t turn on the TV.”


Fuck these people
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 12:26 PM on June 26, 2019 [34 favorites]

If there has to be a show like this, floating a trial balloon for a Sheindlin replacement: Judge Amber Wolf
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:32 PM on June 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

Someone declaring their love for Judge Judy is absolutely one of my checkboxes for "I am going to dislike this person"

Add "Doctor" Phil to that list.
posted by some loser at 12:37 PM on June 26, 2019 [23 favorites]

Someone declaring their love for Judge Judy is absolutely one of my checkboxes for "I am going to dislike this person"

Add Duck Dynasty to this list
posted by AzraelBrown at 12:46 PM on June 26, 2019 [10 favorites]

One vote for Dr. Oz as well.
posted by Splunge at 12:49 PM on June 26, 2019 [20 favorites]

The fact Judge Judy is for ‘equal rights for fathers’ is a part of her background in Family Court.
That view is fine if we are talking about a couple who get divorced where abuse is not an issue. Normal kids need normal dads and moms. I’m all for shared parenting in those situations.
Once abuse is a factor, then the court needs to favor the safer parent, whether that safer parent is the mother or the father. To the point of disallowing visitation or custody.
I did not know about her background. I can’t stand Judge Judy and dislike her show. Never bothered learning about her. Now my own rather visceral dislike feels justified and sensible.
She is part of how our country is being destroyed. Mark my words, the mishandling of abused women and children is part and parcel of that destruction. She could have used some of that poorly managed anger on abusers. To me the fact she never does, speaks to her internalized misogyny. I spotted the not so carefully concealed racism. A relative by marriage used to be a HUGE fan.
If we are going to have these TV judges, they don’t need to represent the absolute worst their profession has to offer.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 12:55 PM on June 26, 2019 [10 favorites]

It was and is terribly inappropriate for a judge to treat any person who comes before the court with contempt, much less people vulnerable enough to be in family court.

AMEN. There are some incredibly nasty judges on the bench at every level—from traffic court to the Supreme Court. (There are some great ones too, don’t get me wrong!) But having deep contempt for your fellow humans, a massive ego, love of abusing others, and control issues should disqualify anyone from the bench, and yet...
posted by sallybrown at 1:02 PM on June 26, 2019 [16 favorites]

Only 4% of custody decisions are made by the courts, which means that most fathers give up custody at some point during the process rather than taking it all the way to a trial. These numbers can't address whether families are pushed in one direction over another. However, I would expect mediators and others involved in the process would take into account who is already the primary caregiver, and given that married mothers spend twice as much time caring for their children than married fathers, this would more often be the mother.

MRAs also like to complain about child support; note however that 28% of single custodial fathers are awarded child support compared to 51% for single custodial mothers, despite single fathers having on average a much higher income than single mothers.

I'm having trouble tracking down statistics on what happens when custody is decided by the courts, although I have found lawyers claiming the father will win more often in those cases. Is it bias against mothers, or is it that it is just more likely to go to court if there is already concern over the mother being a fit parent? I don't know.

It does seem clear, however, that this MRA talking point is at least overblown, if not entirely fictitious.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 1:10 PM on June 26, 2019 [18 favorites]

Judy sounds far more thoughtful in person from this interview she did on Alan Alda's podcast: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/clear-vivid-with-alan-alda/e/55360361
posted by Popular Ethics at 1:15 PM on June 26, 2019

“If you saw what America actually looks like, you’d be horrified,” Houston says. “You wouldn’t turn on the TV.”

I think I agree with her, but for very different reasons. Imagine if TV news did real coverage on wars; the last time they tried, they horrified the nation for years.
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:27 PM on June 26, 2019 [6 favorites]

If you're determined to believe you live in a just world, you will need a vast army of victim-blamers to preserve your peace of mind.

Judge Judy is no better than a Major in the corps.
posted by jamjam at 2:33 PM on June 26, 2019 [5 favorites]

Watching people get scolded must release endorphins for a certain type of viewer. So many shows seem designed to deliver that particular thrill.
posted by kurumi at 2:34 PM on June 26, 2019 [13 favorites]

Oh!
posted by Afolabi Dolapo at 2:43 PM on June 26, 2019

Can't stand this woman. She determines guilt by looking at the person, before they can even open their mouths. Why would anyone subject themselves to such treatment?
posted by tommasz at 2:44 PM on June 26, 2019 [2 favorites]

I will admit I watch Judge Judy from time to time in the benighted hope that finally, one blessed day, the parties will rise up as one and shout out, "You're just a TV arbitrator! We reject your bogus authority!” and keep yelling so that her voice is finally drowned out and she shrivels up before our eyes, screeching, "I'm melting!!! Melllllllllinnnnnnnnngggggggg!!" a la Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz. I will continue to watch in the hope that someday, while her eyes are popping out of her head as she bullies yet another working class person by calling them “wacko" or "stupid" for the entertainment of her audience, that a 6,000 ton gavel will drop on top of her and crush her sorry ass.

I despise that awful woman with a pure blue flame of loathing. She actively harms the legal system. Thank you for posting this article.
posted by holborne at 5:00 PM on June 26, 2019 [9 favorites]

Why would anyone subject themselves to such treatment?

Probably for the $500 and free trip to LA.

Yeah, a friend of mine was on the show (they recruited her) and she generally seemed to enjoy the experience and even won. However, they took so long to send the check that she moved and never received it.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:43 PM on June 26, 2019 [2 favorites]

My ex probably hasn’t missed an episode since it came on the air. She once had Byrd put a young dog between a 10 year old kid and a sketchy looking couple who'd contested returning it to the kid's family. She made them all call to the dog and the dog went to the kid..she gave it to the couple anyway. She's a fucking monster.

...and she claimed that the cover for a turntable was just a piece of plastic that could be purchased anywhere for $10. She's fucking out of touch too.
posted by bonobothegreat at 6:18 PM on June 26, 2019 [5 favorites]

My wife was a public defender. All the judges we ever interacted with, or co-workers who became judges were the best you could want as judges. (I live in Seattle tho)

Every judge I've had to interact with, on jury duty, was questionable.

Seeing the shit judges keep doing/ruling on...

Clearly the law isn't what they are doing anymore
posted by Windopaene at 7:44 PM on June 26, 2019

Homo neanderthalensis: “Judge Judy's own books lay out her malignant philosophy.”

Such people simply cannot understand that not everyone is a cruel, manipulative, conniving, malevolent predator. They do not believe there is such a thing as people of goodwill. It's a damn shame we let them run everything.
posted by ob1quixote at 8:41 PM on June 26, 2019 [5 favorites]

They do not believe there is such a thing as people of goodwill.

Which says something about who they are as people, I think, and in her case "cruel" and "malevolent" seemed to have been in evidence when I saw her show once. I don't remember the particulars of the two cases I watched 20 years ago, but I do remember thinking that she was fucking rude and condescending to all the parties in the episode.

That she's made $420 million from those she despises is just appalling.
posted by droplet at 9:10 PM on June 26, 2019

Only 4% of custody decisions are made by the courts, which means that most fathers give up custody at some point during the process rather than taking it all the way to a trial

The article: "In just over 51% of custody decisions, both parents agree that the mother should become the custodial parent"

I guess that’s technically "most".
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:25 PM on June 26, 2019

A. this is a derail. B. It doesn't mean much unless you assume both parents agree in all custody cases, which is . . . definitely not the case.
posted by aspersioncast at 5:19 AM on June 27, 2019 [3 favorites]

Clearly the law isn't what they are doing anymore

TV show justice is technically adjudication - the parties agree to have their cases settled by the adjudicator (Judge Judy) and not in a real court. Judging the entire legal system based on TV is like thinking that you can get a Friends-style apartment in NYC working a minimum wage job. (Not that there aren't issues with the legal system.)
posted by warriorqueen at 6:42 AM on June 27, 2019 [1 favorite]