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One Show to Rule them All?

According to Google, more 18–49 year-olds watch YouTube than any broadcast or cable TV network (on mobile alone!) Daytime television is struggling to compete. Despite the odds, “The Dr. Phil Show” has managed to stay so damn relevant in 2019, that it’s downright impressive.

At the time of writing this, Phil McGraw is the highest-paid daytime personality and is in the midst of 162 consecutive weeks of being the highest-rated syndicated talk show.

So by now, you may be wondering: how the Hell did he do it? Is it the show’s ability to adapt to viewing trends by posting a constant stream of click-bait to their YouTube channel? Maybe. Are viewers drawn to McGraw’s impeccably shiny head, like moths to a flame? Definitely.

But what really sets Dr. Phil apart is his uncanny ability to find the most mentally unstable people in the world and exploit them for views- all in the name of psychology.

Dr. Phil Under Fire

Dr. Phil has received criticism in recent years for luring vulnerable people to his show and exploiting them on live television, with absolutely no remorse.

Keep in mind that the following are only allegations, and should be treated as such.

Shelley Duvall

Shelley Duvall, best known for her starring role as Wendy in The Shining, appeared on The Dr. Phil Show in 2016 on an episode called “From Hollywood Star to Near Isolation”.

A controversial promo video was released several weeks before the episode aired. In the video, Duvall says, “I loved Robin Williams, but I don’t think he’s dead.”

When McGraw asked her where she thinks he is, she replied, “Shape-shifting.”

The promo video and subsequent interview resulted in an onslaught of insensitive press regarding Duvall’s mental health status, including this video by Inside Edition (stay classy guys.)

Broadcasting a single out of context statement in a 30-second clip is cruel and exploitative in so many ways. This is a woman who worked with Robin Williams for years, was extremely close to him, and is clearly still grieving his loss.

Considering the fact that McGraw has a PhD. in Clinical Psychology, he of all people should know that everyone processes grief differently.

McGraw could have used this as a teaching moment for his audience, but instead, he used it for views- all at the expense of a mentally ill woman. Actress Mia Farrow and producer Vivian Kubrick banded together in their support for Duvall and publicly boycotted the show on social media.

Dr. Phil sent her to a treatment facility in Miami, Florida, where she stayed for three days before deciding to leave and return to her home in Texas.

I can’t help but think that if McGraw truly wanted to help her, he would have chosen a facility closer to her home to help ease the difficult transition of entering back into society.

Tod Herzog

Survivor winner Tod Herzog appeared on the Dr. Phil Show in 2013 to discuss his ongoing struggle with alcoholism.

He was so inebriated during filming, that he had to be helped onto the stage by Dr. Phil and several other staff members.

Fast forward five years later: Herzog finally reveals his side of the story. He claims he was sober when he arrived on set in Los Angeles but was left alone with two bottles of vodka and mixers like orange juice and Red Bull.

He also claims he was given a Xanax prior to filming to “calm his nerves”, stating, “this was a deliberate move to make for better TV.”

If his allegations are true, Herzog was placed in immediate danger by the producers of The Doctor Phil Show. The American Addiction Center states that “Mixing Xanax and alcohol increases the potential that one will experience hallucinations and/or delusions or even seizures compared to when using either drug alone.”

While there’s no way we can know what really went on behind the scenes, these accusations are deeply troubling.

Kaden Mahaffa

In February of this year, previous Dr. Phil guest Kaden Mahaffa sued McGraw and CBS for humiliating her on national TV.

She appeared on the show with her boyfriend in 2017 to discuss the abuse he suffered at the hands of his grandmother and mother. But McGraw flipped the script during filming and focused instead on Mahaffa’s mental health issues.

During the pre-interview process, Mahaffa told producers that she feels she has supernatural powers, can communicate with the dead, read people’s minds, etc.

Such delusions of grandeur would indicate to any psychologist worth their salt that this individual is suffering from an untreated mental illness, and that the last thing they need in that state is to be exploited for cheap views.

“Doctor Phil is a Hollywood celebrity who uses his fame and credibility as a mental health professional to gain the trust of mentally-ill psychiatric patients, only to turn around and publicly humiliate them for the sake of good television ratings and advertising dollars.” -Kaden Mahaffa

Photo by nikko macaspac on Unsplash

Questionable Tactics

A teenager was featured on the Dr. Phil Show after his parents’ expressed concern about his video game habits and violent behavior.

In the pre-show interview at his home, the teen insists, “I think I can solve the problem myself. I don’t think that I need to be on the Dr. Phil Show, and I think this is a waste of my time.”

While it’s obvious this boy needs psychological help, he firmly insisted he didn’t feel comfortable receiving it on live television. I believe he is old enough to make that decision, considering it could affect his life and future employment opportunities. But Dr. Phil doesn’t take no for an answer.

Pressure to Appear on the Dr. Phil Show

He claims that when this happens they involve a “transporter”. The show cuts to footage of a large man (accompanied by several other production assistants) entering the boy’s room in the dead of night, urging him to reconsider. He appears extremely uncomfortable, and rightfully so.

The episode cuts abruptly to the teen as he says, “Missing out on this opportunity is gonna be a big mistake, and I think Dr. Phil is going to be able to help me with my problems right now, and I’m very excited.”

While it’s entirely possible the teen had a sudden change of heart, his words come across as forced- almost as if they’re scripted by producers.

Dr. Phil’s Ex-Wife Speaks Out

Many Dr. Phil episodes examine cheating, and how it can destroy families. With his signature no-nonsense approach, Dr. Phil convinces the cheater to face the past and turn their life around for the better.

Cut to wife Robin, as she grins ear-to-ear and nods wildly in the audience- her gaze reminiscent of Pennywise before eating a small fat child. But really, what do I know? Her face might just be stuck like that…

All plastic surgery jokes aside (she claims she’s 100% natural…) there’s information to suggest that McGraw may be far from the perfect husband he portrays himself to be.

Debbie Higgins, a highly respected editor, went public about the details of her and McGraw’s failed marriage. She claims he was domineering, high-strung, and unfaithful.

″When I confronted him about his infidelities, he didn’t deny these girls and told me that it had nothing to do with his feelings toward me, to grow up, that’s the way it was in the world.″- Debbie Higgins

Unfortunately, Debbie Higgins passed away in 2014 following her battle with cancer, so Dr. Phil is the only one that knows what really happened between them.

Weight Loss Scandal

In 2003, McGraw released a new line of weight loss products called “Shape Up”. He claimed that the products were specially formulated to help people change unhealthy behaviors and lose weight.

The FDC criticized McGraw for not being the right authority to recommend such a product. McGraw ignored the warnings, resulting in 3 different lawsuits filed against him. The unhappy customers claimed they saw zero results from the expensive supplements.

The Washington Post reported that he reached a $10.5 million settlement agreement with the plaintiff. McGraw felt that he did nothing wrong. The product has since been discontinued.

Turn Around Ranch: Torture or Tough Love?

Residential treatment facility Turn Around Ranch has been heavily endorsed on the Dr. Phil Show for the last 10 years. The programs typically last 100 days, and they claim that “therapy, academics, and hard work come together to impart lasting and powerful change in teens.”

But many past residents have told a different story. Julia Gordon and daughter Elizabeth Verney sued Turn Around Ranch in Federal Court for allegedly subjecting her daughter to “torture, hours of stress positions, threats to suffocate her, exposure to animal abuse and regular public humiliation.”

According to the 34-page complaint, Gordon claims her daughter was forced to stay in “stress positions” for hours at a time- unable to stretch or rest her body against structures. She was also forced to sleep on a wooden slab, which was extremely painful due to complications from a previous back injury.

Animal Abuse and Public Shaming

She wasn’t allowed to shower or change her clothes for days, even though they were regularly covered in animal feces. She attended “denunciation” meetings where she was told she was making up her anxiety and depression. The staff would order the children to tell her everything they hated about her and other residents, in the form of public shaming.

She also claims she was forced to eat and prepare meat as a vegetarian- threatening to tube-feed her if she didn’t comply.

During her stay, the staff subjected residents to extreme animal abuse, such as throwing live rats into a campfire for fun, and neglecting animals in their care, stating, “dogs were left for days on end without water.”

Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash

Mail Interception

Elizabeth wrote a letter to her mom detailing the abuse and saying she wanted to come home. The staff never sent that letter- instead telling Elizabeth that her parents said she’s been “telling tales” and deserved the abuse. Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s parents were told that she was very happy in the program, and wanted to stay longer. Upon visiting her halfway through the program, they noticed that “her hands were raw and continuously bleeding, she had lost weight and looked exhausted.”

Teen Murders Turn-Around-Ranch Staff Member in Attempt to Escape

In December of 2016, 17-year-old Clay Brewer was charged with aggravated murder after brutally slaying staff member Jimmy Woolsey at Turn Around Ranch. Police said, “Brewer attacked the staffers because he wanted to leave, not because of a grudge”. He also attacked staff member Alicia Keller, who initially survived, but died less than two years later.

Breach in Policy

The victim’s wife filed a lawsuit in 6th District Court, said that Clay Brewer reportedly woke up “feeling heartless” on the day of the attack, and claimed that Dr. Phil should have never recommended him to the program in the first place.

The lawsuit states that the facility broke its policy against admitting residents with a history of suicide attempts and that it isn’t “geared to deal with minors suffering from serious drug addictions and certainly not minors going through drug withdrawal.”

Brewer was addicted to prescription pills and had a history of suicide attempts. He attempted to kill himself by drinking bleach in the five days leading up to the attack.

Provo Canyon School

Dr. Phil also sends teens to a lesser-known troubled teens facility called “Provo Canyon School”. Former resident Angela Smith shared her thoughts about the program.

“Dr. Phil is either oblivious to the horrendous acts of emotional and physical torment that goes on behind Provo’s closed doors, or he’s so coldhearted that he simply doesn’t care about the blatant mistreatment of children.”- Angela Smith, former resident

Angela was sent to the program after suffering sexual abuse at the hands of a family member, resulting in a failed suicide attempt at the age of 15. She said the videos she was shown made the program look like “some kind of Club Med vacation resort.”

Lack of Privacy

When she arrived, she was immediately strip-searched. She said the teens were forced to shower and use the bathroom without doors- always in the staff’s sight.

Photo by Hailey Kean on Unsplash

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

“I found out quickly that if I broke the rules I would be subjected to extreme forms of mental and physical torture.”- Angela Smith

The first day, Angela was given strict guidelines for everything, including making her bed. A few days later, staff found a small wrinkle in Angela’s sheet, and the resulting punishment was cruel, to say the least.

“For that small wrinkle, I was given one week in a 6-by-6 concrete cell known as the Investment Area — which residents quietly referred to as ‘The Dungeons.’

“I had to stand in one place for 10 to 12 hours at a time and stare at the concrete wall the entire time without moving. The rooms were cold, damp, very unsanitary and usually infested with bugs.”

Even worse, was her description of the “Observation Room”. Residents would stay in the empty, dark room for extended periods of time, and were denied access to a toilet. She said they were forced to relieve themselves using a drain in the room.

Denied Necessary Medical Care

Jason Kan attended the school from 2003–2004 and says he broke his hand playing basketball. Instead of giving him medical attention, they accused him of faking his injury. After his hand turned purple, they finally decided to take him to a hospital. He says doctors were shocked by his condition, which required immediate surgery.

Sour Milk

Rachel Roberts attended the program in 2002, and claims that the milk they served was “so old that it had turned sour and lumpy.” She lost 30 pounds while there. She also witnessed a staff member smashing a girl's face into a wall, breaking her nose in the process, for not following an order. Another girl was apparently put in a coma. Staff told her that if she told anyone, they would do the same to her.

Photo by Gabriel Benois on Unsplash

“I think Dr. Phil should be investigated for malpractice for recommending Provo Canyon School to parents on his show!” -Rachel Roberts

Closing Thoughts

Please keep in mind that these are only accusations, and not proven to be true until corroborated with hard evidence.

These allegations (and the many others I didn’t include) span back years, and I’ve noticed a pattern. McGraw seems to feel no empathy for his “patients” plight and uses serious mental illness as a way to draw traffic to his show: making himself look like a hero in the process.

He is constantly name-dropping celebrities, which makes him seem vapid and insecure. Any time a guest attempts to stand up for themselves, he dismisses them completely and turns the audience against them.

McGraw loves to remind everyone that he’s an expert in his field, but he’s not even licensed to practice. Even worse, he endorses and sends teens to treatment facilities that are heavily suspect for abuse. For all of these reasons, I believe he should be thoroughly investigated before he can continue to practice.

That being said, I believe everyone should do their own research on the subject. Celebrities are often put on a pedestal by their fans, and to them, they can do no wrong. We must not forget that celebrities are human beings- capable of making mistakes.

It’s important that we hold everyone to that standard, no matter how rich or famous they are.