That's right folks, you heard it here first (unless you saw the show Friday evening). Dr. Phil became everything his disciples have never thought possible: a political sell-out. Instead of giving people his regular dose of "wake up your life can't be that hard, do something about it!" sermons, Dr. Phil went on a full fledge crusade to convert heretics that opposed the war. I've never had the chance to see such a staged ceremony in my life. Only an idiot like Bush would of fall for it. Everything was perfect: 1- Bring in a family of five with all their 3 kids in the military. Show the cardiac father with the now neurotic obsessive\compulsive mother who can't do anything else than watch the news in dire hope of seing her son... What does rednecked Dr. Phil gives as advice????? -"We admire your sacrifice and courage" and then going on ever so soflty for the next 5 seconds that "they should face their problems as a family rather than individuals." Something wrong here? Did someone give Phil ritalin? He should of blasted that lady accross the room for wasting her life in front of the T.V. and tell the father to "deal with it: talk, jog, eat better and stop dwelling on your sorry state!" Of course, he can't talk crap to parents of soldiers... it's like saying to the Pope his crown isn't Holy enough. All in all, this scene is just the appetizer of what is yet to come. ----- We later get the chance to be introduced, while coming back from the break and eating our cheese-zeez, a couple of pictures of killed in action soldiers. (with some very melodramatic music to make us understand what greatness lies in such things) After being told that they all died while serving their country and haveing died heroically -as if nobody ever died like cowards while serving in the U.S. corps- we get to another half-assed 'expose' about the courage of the mother of an black-american POW that was part of the technicens that got caught in the first weeks of the war... wich her unit somehow managed to get lost despite having compasses, GPS systems, maps and being part the the largest mechanized convoy in history. Wanting to spare you from the dogmatic futility of that segment, I'll just jump right to the two women that were invited to be sacrificed and humiliated in order to please the "God fearing man" that our new unelected Pope is (aka Bush). Medea and Michelle are two outspoken, well educated, pro-peace demonstrators. Then the interrogation begins. At first, Dr. Phil wants america to know that he isn't a communist. He starts off by stating that he has taken part in many high profile 1st amendment cases, in which he actually defended the 1st amendment, Oprah's case is briefly mentionned, and then says that he respects everyones right to express themselves However, he goes on to to ask if, althought they have the right to state their opinions, do "they not also have a responsibility to weight" the outcomes of what they are saying? (-knowing that our soldiers are there right now) Reply: (paraphrase) Yes we do weight the impacts of what we are saying as well I am sure that those that support the war also consider the impacts of their actions. We only want the end of the war so people wil no longer die and that our troops can come home. Of course, the attempt to make pro-peace activits look like anti-social renegades that hate american values having failed, Dr.Phil tries to instill fear that "the enemy press might use you as a soundbyte in their country to boost morale". -I thought Dr. Phil took fear away, not gave it. I'm supposed to shut up because someone might unfairly quote me? Maybe we should shut down the press in wartime and suspend all 1st ammendment rights so that nothing could be said that the enemy could use to "boost their morale". (P.S. sorry to say this Dr. Phil, but if you'd watch the news lately, morale doesn't win wars, cruise missiles do.) That said they reply: Yes we think of that, but also the security of our children. We are being seen as the aggressors, not the saviors. The U.N. was doing its job and we are in an illegal war. The real problem is Al-Qaeda, not Iraq. *Hired Crowd starts to boo Phil: "Do you really believe that to lie down in the streets and disrupting traffic will stop the war in Iraq" *Crowd goes wild My reply: Ok Phil., let's just all sit in our living rooms and write letters that will go straight to the White House' recycling bin (if Bush believes in recylcing). To oppose is to cause. If you think that waving a damn picket solved the French and American revolutions, stopped the abuse and exploitation of workers during in the Industrial revolution, put an end to the Viet-Nam war or prevented the WTO to boss the world around in Seattle... you've missed the last two centuries of history pal. A gift from God to our crooked politicians is an innacttive, pacif population who will let you get away with anything. I'm glad to see that in northern-america, we have the right to give ourselves the duty to truly OPPOSE a cause... I mean, that is what those soldiers are supposedly dying for, right? So let the protesters be. I just loved it how Dr Phil seems to have forgotten how he got his talk show in the first place: saving Oprah from a 1st ammendement case about meat being "yuky" It's funny to see Dr.Phil's cow arguments become the bull shi* argument. Here are the steps: P1-While you have the right, you have the responsibility to weight the impacts of what you say. P2-You know that there are currently soldiers out there. ----------------------------------- c: You should not say those things in case the enemy, in a foreign land, might use it against the soldiers. (boohoo) Lets use the same logic, but to the Bull shi* context: P1- Oprah has the right to express her opinion, and has the responsibility to weight the impacts of what she says. P2- She knows that a meat industry is currently depending on the demand of the public ot survive ----------------------------------- c: Oprah should not say her opinion because she WILL be heard by millions and HAS affected the state of affairs of the meat industry. So you tell me, can Dr. Phil really have it both ways? In one case he defends the woman (Oprah), the other he's telling her to get a hobby(Medea and Michelle) -Talk if we think its okay and don't if society puts a lid on you? Thats hardly the behavior of a 1st ammendment defender. Come to think of it, its a pretty moronic behavior, espescially when you try to sell it to fanatics that clap like seals each time you encourage this illogical behavior. You either support freedom of speech, accepting the 'possible' repercutions, or you believe in censorship and you live in ignorance. Simple no? Dr Phil also seems to apply his faulty logic to the fact that once war is made, we should somehow shut our brains off and automatically support it. Forget the illegal war, the reasons that we will never find that justify it and the fact that the English, Australian and American public who all opposed the war even before it began.... forget that... and just accept the fact that you are a meanningless citizen that walked in the streets for nothing. We got a plan, and we're going to do it, step aside, or bad things could happen! Whatever Phil. Other interesting facts about the fixed show: -Of course, lets not forget the prominent display of uniformed soldiers in the crowd. If this was "the price is right", I would have nothing to say, but since nobody ever wore a military uniform in Phil's crowd (except guests), how come we get to see 3 of them on that Friday? -We also get to meet a 1 start general. He gets to shake his head two times (1 for Phil and 1 against the ladies) and talk for 10 seconds saying yes 3 times to Phil and addind some pre-programmed rhetoric dating from the 60's about soldiers who are fighting to insure our freedom. (When Mexico will invade us, then I'll consider the argument, but when you go to Viet-Nam or Iraq, let us be mature about it and just admit to me that your trying to pull a fast one on me) -It's also fun to notice that each time Medea puts Dr. Phil in trouble, he cuts to a commercial. -I noticed the second time I watched it, the crowd is almost exclusively composed of middle-aged individuals. Being less informed and more prone to accept the simplictic rhetoric that Bush appeals to all the time, it is clear that almost all of them were pro-war and have no true understanding of the political dilemma's of the Iraq war. Proof? the crowd never reacted favorably to the two women guests. Now what are the odds of getting 60-90 individuals to all hold the same opinion? All in all, the show was a setup for the insertion of a new idea, sponsorded by Dr Phil: -Now that the war has started, we should not risk to negatively affect our troops in Iraq and should stop to oppose the war overtly.- In one short phrase that the Dr.Phil audience is sure to understand: "You have the right... but just don't do it." Hard to believe that Dr Phil would be like this right? Well I was fortunate enough to have parents who taped the show and I'm going to enjoy archiving this and show it to my fellow university comrades. Prisme P.S. This is a commentary about the show and Dr. Phil's arguments. Don't write on this thread and start blabbing about WW2 and if Oprah really affected the meat industry. You are welcomed to post your comments about THE SHOW and to agree of disagree about my vision of THE SHOW. P.S.S. Please read carfully, it's not fun to have critics that can't read well and seem to see things that were never written or to fail to consider what is already written. Thank you.
The effect of shows like the Dr. phil on the American psyche is significant. The majority of Americans consider this sh!t news.
Not much help It's hardly any help to the topic, but I want to lock Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura in the same room with a joint, one line of cocaine, and a five-pound bucket of gummi-bears. And if that doesn't work, give me a taser and five minutes alone with each. Doctor Phil is perhaps the most damaging moron to hit the American white-trash culture since Jerry Springer. Phil has a great message as long as life is aimed at serving the machine, and not being an individual. Doctor Phil's basic message seems to be: Don't let anything you do interrupt your economic contribution to the Homeland; unless, of course, your kids are dying in this war in which case I'm going to pretend that you somehow deserve to feel more miserable than anyone else. Did your daddy rape you? Get the fuck over yourself and apologize to your father for your bitterness. Is your child participating in an illegal war? Well, whine and bitch and sob all you want, and make sure I can broadcast it on national television .... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I think we should pull the old anti-heavy metal stunt. At the first opportunity, we should blame Dr. Phil for a teenage suicide. I can just hear the trial judge: "Wonderful, Phil, but don't give me that shit in my courtroom." :m:, Tiassa Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Re: Not much help I would say Dr. Phil is more damaging than jerry springer. People watch Springer and get exactly what they expect – crap. Springer doesn’t even attempt to get political. The stories are of screwed-up individuals. There’s nothing subliminal. Dr. Phil, on the other hand, disguises itself as a serious informative talk show. The “Dr.” label alone plays a significant role in deceiving the audience into thinking they are getting unbiased information.
From Dr Phil's website This week on "Dr. Phil", according to Dr. Phil dot com: Um ... Dr. Phil? "Catfight" is a TV word, not a psychology word. In the meantime, would you like to produce your own episode of Dr. Phil? Try the Dr. Phil Soundboard, and you're on your way to being a licensed TV quack. :m:, Tiassa Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Wow I have been laughing my butt off by reading the comments and I am given a hope in humanity each time I hear what I've been telling myself about Phil. I never went as far as saying that he was up in the ranks with Springer, but his political awarness episode definetly made me realize that this pop-psychology could be used to more sinister ends: such as convincing the middle class that this war is somehow okay... eventhought nothing has been said to support that claim other: "I would not want the troops to feel that they have less than 100% of my support". I definative political sell-out. I don't mind easy answers, I just can't stand dumb ones. Prisme
Does that dude have an MD license....Why is he called a Dr.? Please don't tell me he have a honorary PhD in news.
Yeah I saw this on a commercial. Tells me all I need to know about Dr. Phil. Jerry Springer wouldn't go there.
Stop the fucking press. I actually agree with prisme on something. Why anybody would take anything Dr. Phil as meaningful is beside me.
