Some talk shows show people at loggerheads, pouring out venom against each other knowing full well that most probably millions of viewers -- adults and otherwise -- are watching the show. For example, Dr. Phil's show comes up everyday with people loaded with problems that they ought to be talking about in private. Well, it looks all right, since Dr. Phil is there purportedly to help them solve their personal problems. It is psychiatry through television. And it is supposed to be helpful not only to those directly in there talking about their problems but also to millions of viewers.
It appears that the phrase, "washing dirty linen in public," has gone out of usage. Time was when people frowned upon those who washed their dirty linen in public. There was a time when husbands and wives, for instance, talked about their marital problems in private even as they availed themselves of the help of counselors. Now they get some kind of fame for talking about their private lives and problems.
Maybe, it makes them feel like movie stars and public personas whose every move, statement, and mistakes are covered by the media. It is the exact opposite of the Catholic Sacrament of Confession whereby individuals poured out their sins to the priest who is bound by the seal of confession not to tell anybody, thus keeping the act of "washing dirty linen" private.
The idea, among others, behind the seal of confession is to safeguard the public, especially the innocent children, from scandal. The people behind talk shows seem not to bother themselves about the scandal they could possibly be committing by giving time to the narration scandalous behavior by scandalous people.
Source: www.articlecity.com