Retro Report on PBS

- [Announcer] Today, we take a close look at a vibrant industry.

- What are you looking at butthead?

- [Announcer] Bullying.

In 1987, Morton Downey Jr. discovered that Americans had an unquenchable thirst for seeing their fellow citizens brutalized.

- Ugly, slob.

You jerk.

Shut up.

- Why don't you shut up?

- Why don't you shut up?

If I had a slime like you in the White House, I'd puke on you!

(crowd cheers) - [Announcer] Downey's unique management style made him a star, until-- - [Newscaster] It was a downer of an evening for Morton Downey Jr. Downey claimed skinheads attacked him, swastikas drawn.

- And cut my hair off, and then said, now you're one of us, sieg heil.

- [Announcer] The trouble was not over for Downey.

Sharp-eyed forensic experts noticed that Downey's swastika was drawn backwards, suggesting he painted it himself in a mirror, in a bid to keep up his ratings.

- [Newscaster] San Francisco airport police and spokesman don't believe Downey.

- There were no skinheads to be found in the area.

- Airport officials say that they think the so-called attack was self-inflected for publicity.

- [Announcer] Despite Morton Downey Jr's impressive legacy, he was relegated to the overflowing ashtray of history, leaving an opening in the market for a new bully.

(crowd chanting Jerry) - Jerry Springer improved on Downey's creation by outsourcing the job of bullying to his studio audience.

- Question's for the mother, what street corner can I find you on?

- My question's for Stewart Little over there.

- That, that nasty bitch up there.

- You need to watch your attitude 'cause I'm not the one.

(crowd cheers) - [Announcer] Classical scholars were quick to recognize Jerry's profound debt to ancient Roman theater.

(crowd chanting Jerry) Sensing that viewers were tired of watching their fellow Americans abuse each other, within the confines of a TV studio, savvy television innovator Mark Burnett was not afraid to spread the gospel.

- We are proud to be Christians.

- [Announcer] No, not that gospel.

Burnett spread the word about bullying.

He made tiki torches mainstream in a move that would spread tormenting to the four corners of the earth.

- You are an unemployed, uneducated leech on society.

- Shut up.

- If I were ever pass you and you are laying there dying of thirst, I would not give you a drink of water.

- [Announcer] Bullying the whole family could enjoy equaled ratings magic, so Mark Burnett set out to do another show, recruiting some random guy that Morton Downey Jr. knew.

- Special guest, Donald Trump.

- [Announcer] Who shared Downey's knack for insulting people, but had way more business sense.

- You're fired.

You're fired.

You're fired.

I feel good about it.

- [Announcer] The Apprentice was sociopathic ratings gold.

Now, you could say that Mark Burnett made a bad call by promoting bullying, but Burnett doesn't report to you.

He answers to a higher authority.

NBC head honcho, Jeff Zucker.

When cable news channels started to get into the bullying game, Zucker decided to head to CNN in time for a series of top-rated, primetime bullying specials.

- I never attacked him on his look, and believe me, there's plenty of subject matter.

More energy tonight, I like that.

She can't run any of my companies, that I can tell you.

This guy's a choke artist and this guy's a liar.

- [Announcer] As his competitors were voted off the island one by one, a little known Slovenia activist moved in on her target, plotting to take down bullying once and for all.

She claimed to be an expert.

- I could say I'm the most bullied person on, on the world.

- [Announcer] So, she made an attempt to stop bullying in it's tracks.

- Today, I'm very excited to announce Be Best.

- [Announcer] The bullying empire was under attack.

But luckily, Trump's PR guy had lots of practice defending bullying and he came out on top.

- You are a rude, terrible person.

A loser.

She doesn't know what the hell she's doing.

What a stupid question.

(crowd chanting Jerry) - It's time to stop bullying bullying.

An industry that's created jobs, profits, and a bold new style of national leadership.

I see a bright future where even anti-bullies have to admit bullies rule.

- I miss it.

I honest to God miss it.