Dr. Phil: Big Hearted Man or Big Dumb Meanie?

[elperromagico]

Let's hear your thoughts.

[everythingsxen]

1. I choose option number 3 -

A con man looking for a quick buck.

[Blade]

2. I too think that.

[Bunny]

3. At the risk of great ridicule, I'll admit that I like Dr. Phil.

His little Texas sayings get kinda old, but what I like is that he will not let you rationalize your problems. And whether we want to admit it or not, when we behave in ways that are detrimental to us, there is almost always a payoff to us for that behavior. He makes you acknowledge what that payoff is. I like that.

[elperromagico]

4. You do realize he smokes crack, don't you?

Oh wait... that was the dad from Alf. Never mind. I get those two mixed up all the time.

[Raine]

5. I like him too

because he makes you take responsibility for your own actions instead of pawning it off on someone else. The repukes need a session with Dr. Phil because they always blame anyone but themselves for problems they created. :grr:

[punpirate]

6. I consider myself exceedingly fortunate...

... that I have no need to take a radio charlatan's advice.

Religions come in all forms.

[ClintonTyree]

7. Charlaton...........

making big bucks off of others' misfortune. He ranks right up there with Dr. Laura as far as I'm concerned.

[barbaraann]

8. I like him.

He's against spanking children, for one thing. However, his emphasis on personal responsibility totally overlooks contributing societal and cultural problems in individual cases.

If George W. Bush is reelected, we will be living in hell no matter how good or responsible we are as individuals.

[Bunny]

14. But that's the beauty of Dr. Phil.

He doesn't overlook contributing societal and cultural problems. Rather, he makes you see past them to decide how you'll let them affect your life. IOW, if the hand you've been dealt is pretty bad, the only control you may have is how you decide to respond to it.

He and Oprah first hooked up when she was being sued by the Texas cattle ranchers. She reported that before the trial started, all she could do was whine and cry about how unfair it was that she was being sued, this should never have happened in America, etc.

Dr. Phil told her that it really didn't matter if it was fair or not, the fact is that it WAS happening, and she was free to dislike that, but she needed to accept the reality of it, and choose to handle it affirmatively. Which she did, and of course the rest is history. Thus was born the career of Dr. Phil.

[BiggJawn]

9. Con Man.

He's made a lot of bucks off of "So, how's that working for you?", and at 6'4" and 250, he's not my choice for a "Diet Guru" Those numbers are still considered "overweight" and he's only 20 or so from being "Obese" like me....

[blondeatlast]

10. Exactly. A diet book, fercrystalssakes?

Next thing you know, he'll write a beauty book. Makes about as much sense, doncha think?

Charlatan (along with his jive turky cheerleader, Oprah). Doesn't nearly EVERYONE believe in personal responsibility? Nothing whatsoever new about that.

[jogi1969]

11. wait a min

didnt this sh*thead have paula jones on his show?
he was fawing all over her,
not one time did he ask any straight questions.
just a lot of "gosh you were brave to be all alone with that
big mean nasty bill clinton"

and there is his even worse kid who thinks that
using 1950's scare tactics is the best way to deal with teen sex
nothing about safe sex, nothing about condoms -- just plain dont have sex -- even if have had it; masterbation? whats that?

repig through and through

[Killarney]

12. I like him. :)

[KG]

13. pointing out the obvious to the willfully obtuse.

what a way to make a living.

[felonious thunk]

15. Fraud

But a smart businessman, cashing in while he can.

[CivilRightsNow]

16. My Dr. Phil story...

I had never heard of Dr. Phil. I dont watch alot of TV outside of Trading Spaces, the comedy and cartoon networks and sometimes, news. However, the other day I was forced to go to a Walmart to pick up some vegetarian ground round (3 regular stores were out of it!) and I ran across a little old lady who wanted to tell me all about Dr. Phil. Being the Christmas season, I think people are more open with strangers.

In anycase, Im standing in front of the morning star farms and boca burgers in a brand new walmart supercenter deep in the heart of Texas and the lady asked me what I thought of the vegetarian pizza. I tell her that Im not a big fan, but the fake riblets and herb crusted patties are muy bien. She then proceeds to tell me about how her daughter and herself were on the Dr. Phil diet. She said her daughter had lost over twenty pounds in the last 2 months. She herself had lost just under.

Evidently the whole plan consists of not gorging yourself like the typical american, and just eating sensibly. No portions of food bigger then your fist.. try to put alot of color on the plate. Eat in well lit places.. etc. Personally, I find it odd that people dont have a built in sensibility to what they eat. But, I digress. After she covers the weight care plan, she tells me that what Dr. Phil is doing for this nation is amazing. That he really cares. That he wants people to get healthy and stop eating all the fast food and sugars. She tells me about the 4 year old child that weighed 200 lbs that she saw on his show. Eventually I am able to extricate myself from the situation.. and her parting statement then encompasses Oprah and Dr. Phil... God bless what they are doing, she says.

I watched Dr. Phil the other day. He had his Dr. Phil family on and the whole thing just seemed so dysfunctional. These secrets and problems definately need to be purged, but on public television? That just seems like opening up a whole new ball of worms.

In anycase, that is my experience with the phenomenon of talkshow gurus.

[BiggJawn]

17. Morning Star and Boca are Ambrosia...

I'm not a "Veggie of Conscience", that stuff just tastes GOOD!
Gthe Herb-crusted cutlet is one of the tastiest things I've ever put in my mouth, and the riblet and "meat" loaf are excellent, too!

Small portions, make it look tasty, make eating transcend "mere refueling" (damn hard to do when you're alone. "Two Dine, One Refuels")knock off the fast-food crap and refined carbs...
Not really anything there that Phil McGraw invented, he's just packaged it and is riding his 15 minutes from "Oprah" all the way to the bank...

Yeah, he "cares"...He cares that he won't have to worry about marina fees going up when he's living "La Vida Loca" in the Caribe....

[CivilRightsNow]

28. Yay..

I am obsessed with the herb crusted cutlet. It is so good if you put it in the oven.


I typically stay away from morningstar farms now. Occasionally we will get the buffalo wings and veggie corndogs. As for garden burger, I think they are still a anticorporate conglomerate. I havent worked up the courage to try the meatloaf yet. But Ive been pleasantly surprised at all the new choices.

I am not a veggie of conscience in the sense that I think it is wrong to eat meat. I think that anything done in moderation is good. I also think that the way we have developed, mass produced and hormone laden animals, is just not responsible consumption. Nor is it a wise choice, in general.

[hlthe2b]

18. I can tolerate in very small doses.... I think his head is swelling to a

detrimental level and he is overstepping with considerable arrogance. If it continues, I predict a rapid decline in his "popularity," over the next 2-3 years.

[noonwitch]

19. The first time I ever saw him, I thought he was mean

But then I got to thinking:
1. What kind of person goes on talk shows to air their personal problems? They probably need someone to talk tough with them.
2. His format is a one hour tv show. He wants to make a breakthrough or have a good discussion with the person on air-he probably takes time before taping to get to know the people and prepare them for the show.

I don't really watch talk shows, except Oprah once in a while, if I'm home. I've never watched Dr. Phil's show, but I did see him a few times on Oprah's.

[populistmom]

20. Pompous opportunist

[Lydia Leftcoast]

21. My mother and stepfather watch his show

so that's where I've seen it.

I find him simplistic, but on the other hand, the people he has on his show seem awfully clueless and in need of a good talking-to.

[WoodrowFan]

22. I love when he has strippers on his show

oh wait, that's Springer.

[Lars39]

23. Can't take him seriously.

He looks just like this guy that used to act in all those Disney movies.

[Missy Vixen]

24. I'm going with "big dumb meanie"

Dr. Phil has shown himself repeatedly to be less than knowledgeable about multiple medical conditions, such as thyroid disease. (My favorite was his telling a woman in his audience that she could "overcome genetics" and it "wasn't really a disease".) I never thought I'd believe this about anyone, but I can only hope that Dr. Phil finds out up close and personal how much of a "disease" it is.

I think he gets a perverse thrill out of his cruelty and rudeness, and would be less than charitable if someone (perhaps me?) walked up to him in a public venue and tried to "tell it like it is". Perhaps it might be better for him if he referred people to a real therapist that might be able to help more than a 30-second analysis of anyone's life on national television.

Can't stand him. I also think it's too bad that Oprah Winfrey, the most powerful woman in America, can't make a decision without consulting this year's "guru".

Julie

[Nlighten1]

25. A little of both I think

he sure can be a jerk but some of the people he talks to need it.

[Blue Gardener]

26. Better than Oprah

At least he didn't have the Gropinator and his anorexic wife on before the California election.

[Cheswick2.0]

27. I like him

Some people need tough love. He wants people to take control of their lives rather than whine, cry, bitch, moan and be a passive victim to life.