Dr Phil

GroundedSpirit

New member
Happened to stumble across the Dr Phil show last night. They were having a loaded debate about open marriages/poly etc. There was some guest (lady) with a very Brit/Aussie accent promoting expanded relationships - especially in regards to sex within a marriage (or lack of).

Although I felt most of the debate was loaded and scripted, I was most displeased by the way it allowed Dr Phil to assert dominance over any supposed 'final decision'. That being that it was unsustainable and basically (from his obvious christian bias), simply 'wrong', and hence to be openly condemned. And that anyone seriously involved or contermplating it must be quite literally mentally deranged and in need of serious help !

It's a shame that this type of display of ignorance is allowed to dominate the media circus without space for dissenting views and conclusions.

Oh well...........

GS
 
I agree.

I also think you have to be open-minded and have quite a high level of emotional intelligence to work with polyamory, neither of which abounds in Dr Phil's target audience. Oprah was doing something on Polyamory, it will interesting to see how that turns out, I have more optimism on that front.
 
Most of what I have seen regarding poly relationships is either sensationalistic for the sake of entertainment, or just plain trying to prove that it is 'wrong' to be poly. There is enough cable bandwidth out there, if there can be all Christian channels, all Jewish channels, all kid channels (the kid channels still put out such puerile prejudiced stuff that teaches people to be corporate drones), surely we could get something going that really contains our point (points) of view in a way that is even family appropriate, and doesn't make us all look like we are religious fanatics who think one man needs eight million wives, but rather people seeking to live in ethical emotionally satisfying groups.
 
Ugh, hate "Dr" Phil, refuse to ever let his big mustached mug on my screen. My son does a killer imitation of his dopey voice tho, that cracks me up.

I saw a pretty good Tyra show about non-monogamy once. 4 "families" in silk PJs lounging on beds onstage, being interviewed. The couples/triads/quads were articulate and loving, and Tyra was fairly respectful... Even tho she does that rolling of the eyes, head tilt thing, it's more for comic effect than true criticism.

I look more toward celebs like Tilda Swinton and Mo'nique for positive poly promotion, instead of that "I'm not a therapist but play one on TV" douchenozzle pompous Phil person.
 
Do you have a link GS? Sounds exciting. :p

Well - I did discover who the non-monogamous promoter was. A lady by the name of Holly Hill.

Here's a link that may tell more about her.

http://sydneywriterscentre.com.au/podcast/hollyhill.htm

At a quick glance, I can't say I feel she's a positive model for expanding relationships or sexual freedom. It seems (at a quick glance/read) that she is more of a control freak than anything. She seems to feel that 'control' is the path to women's empowerment. A philosophy I don't happen to agree with.
I have little respect for power or control approaches to anything. Probably why I have never been able to make any connection to the D/s lifestyle.

But anyway......it really boils down to just more media drama. A buck to be made for someone.

GS
 
I HATE Dr. Phil....My wife....LOVES him. :rolleyes: I have noticed that she does argue JUST LIKE HIM at times, and often thinks very much like him. She disagrees with his view on poly though.

I think what I dislike about him, is the thought that he portrays, that if you don't agree with him, you are "wrong" and need to seek help, because you are mentally/moraly "messed up".

His goal with this specific show, was to try to discredit those with open marriages or poly relationships....And to try to impose his views on millions of viewers. But isn't that what EVERY talk show host does? It brings in the $$$ by being controversial.

I think Dr. Phil is arrogant, and pompus...but he does make a good point from time to time. And for every time he makes a good point in MY eyes, someone else is thinking he is arrogant and pompus and out of line. Soooo....Much like "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"....Well, this show is similar.
 
There are douchenozzles, and then there are douchenozzles. Some are bulbous and smooth and feel good. Ordinary ones are kinda pokey and hurty if used too vigorously. :rolleyes:
 
Phil's job is to always agree with what the majority of his female christian viewers believe, whether he believes it or not. He just says things he thinks they'll agree with to keep them watching. He often comes off as that insincere husband who agrees with his wife just to keep the peace... that being said, his opinion is irrelevant, since it's usually not his real opinion anyway....
 
To be fair, most of Dr. Phil's viewers lack either the maturity or communication skills to maintain a polyamory lifestyle. Everyone who comes on that show with relationship issues has a lot of baggage to deal with. People who haven't even learned to maintain a single, healthy relationship have no business trying to bring more people into their problematic world. So to that end, with regards to most of his viewers and virtually all of his guests, he's right that polyamory is unsustainable and not a good idea.

Overall, I've found that Dr. Phil's advice comes in two flavours: blatantly skewed, and blatantly obvious. Much of what he says is total common sense, but I tend to forget that common sense is anything but common.
 
I agree.

I also think you have to be open-minded and have quite a high level of emotional intelligence to work with polyamory, neither of which abounds in Dr Phil's target audience. Oprah was doing something on Polyamory, it will interesting to see how that turns out, I have more optimism on that front.
I think oprah doing something on it might have more of an open minded view on the matter.
I mean I remember seeing a show she did one time that was had one topic of females watching porn more now and saying how that is more of a norm to do.

dr.phil just seems wayy to old fashioned and right winged in his topics and I really dis like people that are so right winged or left winged they don't even wanna try to look at a bigger picture at all.
 
I think oprah doing something on it might have more of an open minded view on the matter.
I mean I remember seeing a show she did one time that was had one topic of females watching porn more now and saying how that is more of a norm to do.

dr.phil just seems wayy to old fashioned and right winged in his topics and I really dis like people that are so right winged or left winged they don't even wanna try to look at a bigger picture at all.

Oprah does a decent job of seeming open. But she relies on an undercurrent of non-acceptance. She knows how to walk the line nicely. While not as far out there as Dr Phil, she is still not accepting of the truly alternative. Although the paint brush she uses may be a different quality.
 
wasn't there a documentary put out about polyamory? I think that would be a really cool to watch if there was something like that put out...that kind of thing does a lot better job of seeming more educated then any talk show it would seem.

I wonder if someone like Ellen did a talk on polyamory how that might go over......probably a lil similarly to oprah I am sure.
 
popaganda

DR. Phill is proof that the united states learned something from hitler, propaganda can work. i have a sneeking suspicion that DR. Phill does some of his shows specifically to push the status-quo and help keep everything the way it is. He probably got some money for doing that story from the government.

ive seen independant news reporters saying that swining and other alternatave relationship are good for the echonomy. beceause we are spending money on alternate lifestyle oriented vacations.
 
Thanks for posting but I watch this and find myself really annoyed by some of the questions, comments, and gasps of horrified exasperation from the audience. Granted, all to be expected and it IS a talk show but...meh.
 
Do you seriously expect to get an open-minded discussion about polyamory on this kind of show? Especially in the USA. I can imagine the British (more phlegmatic, less hostage of the loony-Christian-right-wing moralists) coming up with a more objective view. Not to mention the Germans or Scandinavians.

I don't live in the USA, I haven't got a television, and I've probably never seen Dr Phil in my life (nor would I ask him to give me a check-up if I did stumble into his waiting room:p), but I can well imagine that IF his team ever invites someone with a more liberal view onto the show, it's only so Dr Phil can score points off them and make their liberal views look ridiculous:D (or dangerous:eek:). I can even imagine some of these shows manufacturing (scripted) "liberals" with "wacky ideas" who don't need Dr Phil or his ilk to make themselves look ridiculous. From the little television I do see, chat shows and some documentaries are coming more and more to presenting stereotypes and prejudices... as well as "playing to the house". "Informed opinion" as pure entertainment.

People are taking certain media into their own hands. I know that there's editorial control on YouTube, but you're much more likely to find (amateur) open-minded reports on polyamory there than on the boob tube. And YouTube's just the most widely-known of the Internet video carriers. (A bonus is that you can leave a comment that isn't going to disappear in 3 seconds, like a texted message rolling across the bottom of a television screen.)

I just went to "google videos" and typed in "polyamory". 1480 results. Who volunteers to wade through them all and prepare a list of the best?

Not a random choice: this was at the head of the queue on Google: Polyamory by silvurhuntress.

Hey, silvurhuntress! On you on here as well?
 
People are taking certain media into their own hands. I know that there's editorial control on YouTube, but you're much more likely to find (amateur) open-minded reports on polyamory there than on the boob tube. And YouTube's just the most widely-known of the Internet video carriers. (A bonus is that you can leave a comment that isn't going to disappear in 3 seconds, like a texted message rolling across the bottom of a television screen.)

I just went to "google videos" and typed in "polyamory". 1480 results. Who volunteers to wade through them all and prepare a list of the best?

On YouTube, JorethInnKeeper's channel looks like a reasonable place to start.
 
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