May 22, 2008
Once I heard that child molester, Grandpa Al, was back on Dr. Phil to state his case, I was ready for Dr. Phil to lay on the “get real” rhetoric. In fact, I was looking forward to having Al put in his place. However, the Dr. Phil Show made a conscious decision to treat this family with dignity and respect. Unlike “The Sister In Law From Hell” family, Dr. P did not use them as “teaching tools.” In spite of the polygraph results from the last show, Dr. Phil only recommended pastoral counseling for Al, and separate counseling for Al’s wife. Ditto for Sherry-Lynn and her husband. What disturbed me was that Dr. Phil did not recommend (at least publicly) that Grandpa Al stay away from his 12 year old grandson, Parker. What about protecting the children? Dr. Phil always says he’s on the side of the children. If their situation takes a turn for the worse, CPS will be very interested in this episode.
Did anyone catch the “Brat Camp” episode? A couple of those kids were scary.
PJ
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Posted by pjbottoms
May 12, 2008
I enjoy family feud episodes like today’s Sister in Law from Hell because Dr. Phil is really in his element. Guests whip themselves into a Jerry Springer-esque frenzy and Dr. Phil turns down the volume with rhetorical questions like: Do I look stupid to you? No seriously, did someone tell you I wasn’t very smart? I’ve yet to see someone reply, “Actually Dr. Phil, I met 10 people waiting in line this morning who said you weren’t very smart.” But no one ever acts defiant; individual family members are too busy justifying their own point of view. In-law strife episodes have been cloned hundreds of times with different families, but there was so much animosity between today’s family, I think Dr. Phil could not afford the liability of tossing them into “The Dr. Phil House” and letting nature
take its course. Dr. P made it clear that if they sit on his stage, they become his “teaching tools.” So what is the difference between a teaching tool and a guinea pig?
Bottom line: No single person is the the only cause of family chaos. Take ownership of your role in creating the drama and kicking up the rhetoric.
Dr. Phil-ism: I tell ya’ if insight was lard, I couldn’t drink a skillet out of the whole bunch. Translation please?
PJ
6 Comments | advice, blogs, Dr. Phil, Drama, embarrassing moments, Entertainment, Family, family drama, insight, Interview, marriage, Mature Content, opinion, Phil McGraw, Reality TV, Role Models, Teaching tools, Television, Uncategorized | Tagged: arguing, defiant, Dr. Phil, Drama, drink, element, episode, Family, Family chaos, family drama, family members, feuding family, fighting, frenzy, guests, Guinea Pigs, insight, Jerry Springer, justifying, kicking, lard, nature take its course, Phil McGraw, point of view, rhetoric, sister in law, skillet, stupid, Teaching tools, The Dr. Phil House, today's guests, TV | Permalink
Posted by pjbottoms
Once I heard that child molester, Grandpa Al, was back on Dr. Phil to state his case, I was ready for Dr. Phil to lay on the “get real” rhetoric. In fact, I was looking forward to having Al put in his place. However, the Dr. Phil Show made a conscious decision to treat this family with dignity and respect. Unlike “The Sister In Law From Hell” family, Dr. P did not use them as “teaching tools.” In spite of the polygraph results from the last show, Dr. Phil only recommended pastoral counseling for Al, and separate counseling for Al’s wife. Ditto for Sherry-Lynn and her husband. What disturbed me was that Dr. Phil did not recommend (at least publicly) that Grandpa Al stay away from his 12 year old grandson, Parker. What about protecting the children? Dr. Phil always says he’s on the side of the children. If their situation takes a turn for the worse, CPS will be very interested in this episode.
