All Episodes Talk: Let’s Talk About Dr Phil the Show

[candall]

Wow, no one to root for in the whole damn family.  Way to go, Phil--score!  The daughter didn't have any legal leg to stand on, but that father made my skin crawl with all his bluff chuckling about his DWI's, the ultimatums for his Ukrainian catfisher and the sweet deal he cut his daughter on her grandmother's mirror.  And next he's going to throw a little shade on whether he's really the bio-dad?  Gag.

 

I'd rather deal with Kaye and her straight-out vitriol than that asshole.

[Wings]

I think the father did meet his "love."   He flew there and met her 2 friends who told him she was in Istanbul?  Oh come on.  The "Suzanne" you met is the one who has been emailing you.   Did anyone else get that impression?   He also said of the 2 women, he liked one and did not like the other so it could have been either.  Phil will probably bring that up today.  I wonder if he bothered to do the research that would uncover the fraud.   I doubt he has the resources to go beyond the scams that are rooted in Nigeria.  Male order bride is another category.  They have been emailing for 2 years and she hasn't asked for money; that is odd and not the usual scam.  

 

This part of the story interests me more than the will conflict.  She gave the money to her son, drop it.   Selling your daughter the mirror, oh good god what a jerk.  The ex wife had to have been there to expand the story somehow.  She doesn't seem to part of anything that is on the table at this point. 

Edited May 5, 2015 by wings707

[Toaster Strudel]

Someone is making money with the letters!  Maybe it's a low-grade scam.

[Jpxfactor]

What was the point of today's show. I wanted to here more about Natalie. Lol

[Diana Berry]

I still keep going back to Friday's show and the boyfriend with the last name "Mantini" of all names?

[Empress1]

The will is the least of this family’s problems.

 

I found myself on Blonde Sis’s side a fair amount. I was totally on her side when she said she couldn’t afford four months’ rent to go to Sis in Green’s destination wedding. When Sis in Green said she could have had a domestic wedding but that’s not what she wanted, I thought “Then you have to be prepared for people not to come.” $1600 is not an insignificant amount of money, not to mention taking five days off work – not everyone HAS that kind of vacation time. Even if they planned it a year and a half in advance, people’s situations change (I was laid off a month ago; no way I’d shell out $1600 right now to go to a wedding) – and people have the right not to spend their money schlepping to your wedding.

 

I was also on her side when she said she thought the mom should butt out, even though it was clearly coming from a bitter place. I said that yesterday. Mom got $5K (which I doubt she shared with her daughters) from her ex-mother-in-law, it wasn’t her mother who died, and she and her ex have been divorced 14 years. It wasn’t her battle to fight.

 

Blonde Sis and Mom hate each other and Dad’s a drunk. These are the issues, not the will. The will is a done deal.

[Wings]

I could not relate to anyone! What an unappealing family. Loved phil's dry remarks about Natalia. Very funny.

[car54]

These people were NOT worth 2 days.   The only likeable ones were the two sisters who were not part of the arguing on the first day.

[Toaster Strudel]

This would have been worth two days if they had found the real Natalia.  Very disappointing! 

 

I wasn't crazy about Lisa, I thought she had it pretty good, and was complaining about trivial things.  She wanted people to behave exactly the way she wanted or she would become very sad, and disappointed.  Suck it up.  I can't believe Dr Phil wasted 3 minutes on a mirror that he could have spent shilling his books.

 

I don't get destination weddings. People have 2, 3 weeks vacation a week, they want to go where they choose to go, not be forced to go to someone else's chosen destination, and have to pay for it too.  "But it's just $60 a month and you knew 2 years ahead of time!"  That's still $1440 and since she was greedy about the inheritance, I bet she wanted generous gifts to go with that, too.  Like Empress1 said, she should expect people not to go, and she should shut up about it.

[JudyObscure]

I laughed out loud at the notion that Lisa wasn't his biological daughter.  He and Lisa may hate each other but they look exactly alike and are equally nasty.  He can't grow a mustache and she can't grow eyebrows and they're both greedy, self-centered, drunks.  Maybe Phil should send someone to film the wedding.

[BusyOctober]

The daughter who thinks her dad "stole" her inheritance is a greedy pig with a false sense of princess entitlement.  I thought the dad was a dick too, but I was in total agreement with him about the "destination wedding".  She'd been with her fiancee for many years, has a 2 yr old child with him and presumably already has a house/apartment with her guy and kid.  I personally don't agree with the idea that she "deserves" a princess party on a tropical island with required attendance.  She may want that kind of wedding and if she can afford it, great. But to expect friends and family to pony up a few thousand bucks to watch you play dress up on a beach is ridiculous.  She must be aware of her family & friends' financial situations to some degree.  Boo-hoo-ing that if no one comes it will ruin your day is stupid.  By choosing to have your wedding hundreds of miles away from home, you've automatically dropped some people out of attending.  Money issues, availability of vaca time, finding a sitter for kids, and so on are real issues that guests have to consider beyond your Cinderella fantasy.  I'm tired of hearing brides to be whine that if people choose to not blow out their bank account for them then it must mean those people don't love/support the happy couple. 

[Wings]

I agree about destination weddings. Unless your guest list reads like Clooney's don't do it. If you have been living together and have a child that changes things. We lived together for 2 years and married in our house with only close friends and family.

Edited May 6, 2015 by wings707

[Guest]

Awesome BusyOctober...just awesome.

[Empress1]

I personally don't agree with the idea that she "deserves" a princess party on a tropical island with required attendance.  She may want that kind of wedding and if she can afford it, great. But to expect friends and family to pony up a few thousand bucks to watch you play dress up on a beach is ridiculous.  She must be aware of her family & friends' financial situations to some degree.  Boo-hoo-ing that if no one comes it will ruin your day is stupid. 

Exactly. Attendance isn't mandatory at any social event, and that includes weddings. If you plan an event that people have to fly to (even if it's in your home town and you invite guests who live flying distance), you have to assume the distance and expense of flying is going to rule some people out. Hell, you should assume you'll get some "no" RSVPs no matter what/where the event.

 

And when she was like "But $1500 includes your drinks and everything! It's not that much!" I was like, way to miss the point, lady. It might indeed be that much for some people, and if Blonde Sis's $1500 is better spent on housing, that's her prerogative and Sis in Green can't say shit about it. You don't get to be put out about how other people spend THEIR money. This was a theme with her. The only point on which I agreed with her was the mirror - Dad should have just given it to her.

 

Dad isn't going to spend any of the inheritance flying the family down there for the wedding either. He was completely silent when the lawyer mentioned it. And even if he offered, Blonde Sis ain't going.

[charmed1]

I'm so sick of hearing, "I miss you sexy buuttt."

[BusyOctober]

Today's cyber bullying guest is cuckoo for cocoa puffs. Why give her airtime to push her agenda at all? Dr. Phil may have shut her down at the end, but why allow that vile POS and her "followers" any extra attention? I hope the family of the poor girl can somehow get legal action taken to shut down that delusional attention seeking asshole.

[car54]

I wanted to smack that cyberbully lady.    She did not hear one thing Dr Phil said.    I wish he'd help the mother/daughter to somehow take some legal action.

I also want to know is the older daughter she was accusing of murder not from the same father?   When they had the father on the phone he went out of his way to say he was not suspicious that his ex-wife/the girl's mother was guilty of anything to do with the death but I didn't hear him say that about the 20 yr old daughter.

[Wings]

I love the shows with crazies!  It is so much more entertaining than abuse and addiction.  I say bring on more!   I have popcorn for such occasions.  :>)

[maryis1]

Wow. Where to start on this week's episodes.

 

When grandparents die, the money goes to their children in the vast majority of cases. When spouses die, the money goes to the surviving spouse most of the time too. My son's grandfather died and was worth well over a huge amount of money... he left it to his children. My son would never expect it to be left to him. If his dad decides to give him some of the inheritance, that would be fine but it would be a gift pure and simple from my son's dad. I was thinking about this as I watched the show. I can't even imagine my son going on a TV show and being pissed that his grandfather didn't leave him any money. His grandfather gave him, hate to sound clichéd but it's true, grandfatherly love and the example of being a  fine man who earned every cent of the large inheritance he left to his children. My son actually has mentioned just one thing about "grandpa's money." He told me that grandpa had left a number of charitable gifts to really needy people and he thought that his grandfather was really wonderful in doing that. Wie cried too many tears together over grandpa's passing and if tears were dollars we would be richer than all those creeps on Dr Phil this week combined.

 

The professor who was fired and had these women he supposedly manipulated. Haven't these women ever heard of the internet??? I found him in two seconds with just his first name and a google search for "fired law dean." He made my skin crawl and has been fired since being fired for plagiarizing. Plus he was connected to one of those ultraconservative law schools that are a step above diploma mill.

 

And today's cyberbullying episode. FOR ONCE I am so glad that I watched this episode. If you have ever been bullied by an adult to adult cyberbully this episode had Dr. Phil really putting that woman in her place. There are so many "super cyber sleuths" out there who create websites and blogs and have decided they know more than anyone. The case today involved a woman who had gone over the top. I would love to see her so-called blog and see what her updates have been since the show aired. All of these people seem to possess no social or interpersonal or empathetic skills and see nothing wrong in ruining an already grieving family with accusations upon accusations with zero regard for the feelings of the actual people involved.

 

And please NO MORE I miss you sexy butt.

[maryis1]

Oh! Forgot to comment on the destination wedding deal. Using no names but letting you know that a certain famous/infamous basketball coach who coaches a Kentucky basketball team and who has in fact coached both big name Kentucky basketball teams; his son was married in Bermuda a few years back to my friend's niece. She started planning the event to take place in Louisville but suddenly every Tom Dick and Harry and their wives and every basketball fan wanted to attend. As time went on, the guest list was absolutely out of hand and turning into a business arrangement rather than a wedding.

 

So, they opted to move the wedding to Bermuda. With that decision all the hangers on and wannabes fell to the wayside and they had a wonderful ceremony and time. Make a wedding inconvenient and far from home if you want privacy. If you want your family to attend, have the wedding close by. Weddings should not be a burden on attendees that you want to have there. And if you insist on doing it that way then you should pay for your loved ones to attend. If you can't afford to do that then you need to rethink your decision and just why you "have" to go to a destination when your family can't make it. I got the feeling that she just wanted to create something difficult to attend so that she could complain about them not coming. But if it were for sentimental or other important reasons then have the reception in your hometown.

[Toaster Strudel]

My least favorite shows are those where the Justice system establishes someone's guilt, and Dr Phil decides to make a one-sided show about that person's alleged innocence.

[Wings]

My least favorite shows are those where the Justice system establishes someone's guilt, and Dr Phil decides to make a one-sided show about that person's alleged innocence.

 

I love these!  I like to see people advocate for someone wrongly accused.  He rarely has shows like this, but when he does, there is already a big question in the air as to the fairness of the trial and motions afoot for a retrial.  He just gives those fighting for a retrial a platform to be heard.  

[QuinnM]

 

I wanted to smack that cyberbully lady.    She did not hear one thing Dr Phil said.    I wish he'd help the mother/daughter to somehow take some legal action.

Unfortunately there are few laws here.  This is done over and over.  I personally think that the ringleader in these cases needs this as their identity and they can't give it up.  Can you imagine living in all that hate?  Why would you do that to yourself?  Look at those crazy people that still say they hate Kate Gosselin because she exploits her kids.  Odd that those are the ONLY kids they want to protect don't ya think?  So this woman will not stop saying that the older sister killed her little sister until no one listens to her anymore.  The dad had never heard the coroner's report?  Gee, wonder where he got the heavily edited version that led him to agree with the ugly woman?

 

So no laws broken.  It's the internet.  Very sad.

[camom]

I would think that a slander case isn't out of the question.  I just wanted to smack that bully woman.

[BusyOctober]

for any of you you do not want to hear "sexy butt", don't listen/watch the first 3 min...the creepiest creep whoever creeped says it a dozen times. I deleted it from my DVR & shut off the TV at the 4 min mark.

 

I'll be in the shower trying to wash away the scummy feelings if anyone needs me.

[candall]

Regarding the destination wedding at the all-inclusive resort, it's too bad the family isn't going because it would have been a terrific opportunity for all of them to patch up their problems.

 

I went to my cousin's wedding at an all-inclusive in Jamaica and at first I thought exactly the same thing as everyone has said:  wow, she's quite the little princess, asking me to pony up such a large amount of money for the purpose of celebrating her.

 

In reality, it was one of the best times I ever had AND it turned out to be a deal, economically, to boot.  The money covered airfare, a beautiful hotel, all meals from a dozen excellent restaurants, all liquor, room service, tips and lots of activities.  Different little interchangeable groups of relatives would meet for breakfast and/or mimosas, head out for snorkeling or lounge by the pool.  At night, the whole group would pick a restaurant, but then some people would split off and head off into town or go dancing or watch a movie and some of us would sit at the bar and order endless rounds of whatever fancy cocktail went past us--it was a blast. (I would usually go back to my room at 2 or 3 a.m. and order room service.  Hmm, lobster, burger or chips & guacamole?)

 

I think the fact that there was no money involved, past the original payment, made it all feel very comfortable and casual.  Plus, with "free" food and drinks everywhere, the grounds were private and the security was good, so the kids could tumble around on their own.  I spent time playing shuffleboard with some of the children, when kids usually aren't my first choice as companions and I would have no reason to ever bond with those kids otherwise.  I went into town with a cousin I had always detested--and while we aren't exactly bosom buddies today, it did turn out I really liked his wife, so she buffers a relationship between us that we never had before.  Spending time with different relatives, and getting to know them better, made it was the best "wedding" I'd ever been to.  I never regretted the months of credit card payments, even for a minute.

 

I think it would have been really fun and memorable and theraputic for that family, too.  It's a shame the dad snorted at spending some of his inheritance/Ukraine dough to flying the whole kit 'n caboodle down to the wedding.

[Jaded]

All New this week too. Some of the descriptions for the episodes though. Ugh.

Monday - May 11, 2015

"I'm Not Unstable; Give Me My Children Back"

Jennifer, 40, claims her parents, Anne and Charles, “fraudulently” gained temporary custody of her 6-year-old daughter and also turned her 18-year-old daughter, Sarah, and 20-year-old son, Josh, against her. Anne and Charles deny any wrongdoing and say Jennifer’s behavior over the years has been so irrational and unstable that they had no choice but to “rescue” their grandchildren — and begin the adoption process with their youngest granddaughter. They say Jennifer is mentally ill, volatile, moody and irresponsible. With a critical custody hearing just days away, Dr. Phil brings this family together in search of a resolution. Should Jennifer have full custody, or are her children better off with their grandparents? Hear from Sarah — what does she have to say about her mother’s behavior? Then, Anne and Charles also accuse Jennifer of abusing prescription drugs — which she denies. Jennifer asks to take a drug test. Don’t miss Part 2 tomorrow, when the results are revealed! Plus, Josh speaks out, explaining why he “excommunicated” his mother. How can Jennifer work toward getting her children back in her life?

 

Tuesday - May 12, 2015

A Mother Accused of Being Unfit and Unstable: Did Jennifer Pass the Drug Test?

Dr. Phil continues his discussion with Jennifer, who is fighting her parents, Anne and Charles, for custody of her 6-year-old daughter. Jennifer claims her parents are out to get her and also “poisoned” her 18-year-old daughter, Sarah, and 20-year-old son, Josh, against her — which her parents deny. Anne and Charles say their daughter is irresponsible and incapable of being a good mother, and she needs help getting her life back on track. They also say they believe Jennifer is abusing prescription pills — an accusation Jennifer absolutely denies. Jennifer even offers to take a drug test — what will the results reveal? And, hear from Josh, who “excommunicated” Jennifer years ago. Who does he believe should raise his little sister? Can everyone pull together in this time of crisis?

 

Wednesday - May 13, 2015

Behind the Buggies and Bonnets: Amish Mafia Star Under Attack

In a daytime exclusive, Dr. Phil sits down with Levi and Merlin, nemeses from the hit reality show Amish Mafia. Levi says his new book, Amish Confidential, lifts the lid on the often-secretive Amish community — exposing its virtues as well as its vices. What’s more, Levi says if anyone should be making money off stories about the Amish, it’s the Amish — rather than outside tourism companies. Merlin says Levi is nothing but a “money-hungry Amish playboy,” who is exposing Amish secrets only for his own fame and fortune. Tensions flare when the men face each other on Dr. Phil’s stage. Is Levi helping or hurting the Amish community? Merlin’s friend, Dena, says she, too, is suspicious of Levi's motives and says she believes he's not helping the plight of many Amish women. Hear the problems she says they face and what she believes needs to be done. And, after hearing Dr. Phil’s advice, will Levi and Merlin finally bury the hatchet?

 

Thursday - May 14, 2015

Young and Beautiful: But Their Love is Ugly

Crystal, 25, and James, 26, have one child and another on the way but say they are anything but a happy family. They say their on-again/off-again relationship is riddled with lies and trading allegations of abuse, neglect and bad parenting. Crystal claims James is abusive -- which he strongly denies -- and claims there is a warrant out for his arrest for allegedly physically attacking her. She says he has an anger problem, yet she can’t help being drawn back to him every time they split, because he’s the father of her children. James claims Crystal is lying about the abuse and out to destroy his reputation by falsely reporting him to authorities. Dr. Phil intervenes in this young, tumultuous relationship. Can Crystal and James calm the chaos and learn to peacefully co-parent? Then, in a “Clash of the Talk Show Titans,” Dr. Phil and Steve Harvey face off in a series of challenges on their respective shows! Tune in to see who wins the hilarious daytime talk show throwdown!

 

Friday - May 15, 2015

Mother of the Year Turned Stalker: Terrorizes Couple for Outbidding Her on Dream Home

In a daytime exclusive, Dr. Phil sits down with Kathy Rowe, a former San Diego “Mother of the Year,” who pleaded guilty in November to stalking a young couple after they outbid her on her dream home. Kathy admits that for nearly a year, she engaged in a campaign to annoy and embarrass the couple — including flooding the couple’s house with junk mail, sending Valentine’s Day cards to female neighbors in the husband’s name and posting online ads arranging for men to show up at the home for sex. As part of the plea deal, several other felony and misdemeanor charges were dropped, and Kathy was sentenced to a year of electronic home monitoring and five years’ probation. Kathy takes Dr. Phil inside her world and reveals what she claims pushed her over the edge. How does she explain her actions? Does she think she went too far?

[charmed1]

Sometimes I hate Phillip's studio audience. This woman is clearly not well. Laughing and giggling at her delusions was not okay. I hope she gets the diagnosis and right cocktail of medication and treatment she desperately needs.

[farmgal4]

Good golly Miss Molly! I feel like I need psychiatric help and a Valium or ten after watching today! I know Dr. Phil says he doesn't drink, but these last two shows may have changed that. That poor woman needed to be committed more than anyone I've ever seen on that show, and she refused treatment! I don't know exactly what her diagnosis is, but she's in dire need of inpatient treatment and medication. I can't imagine that she has many, if any, friends; wth could stand to be around her for longer than a minute?! Her poor parents and children, I guess their hands are tied unless she threatens to hurt herself or others. Thank God they got custody of the child.

I missed a lot of yesterday's show; has she ALWAYS been like that or did it happen after she started using drugs? And speaking of drugs, methamphetamine? Really? The LAST drug that woman needed was meth!

[candall]

No kidding, charmed1.  I'm not even through the first hour and this woman is crying out for some "dual diagnosis."  Obviously she can't produce a single coherent sentence.  I'm appalled that Phil's going to wring a second show out of her.

 

"And TOMORROW, Jennifer's son joins his sister and grandparents to provide further evidence that Jennifer's a basket case."

 

(P.S.  Jennifer's mother looks like she belongs on the Amish Mafia show.  Yikes, she's . . .severe.)

[flyingdi]

No kidding, charmed1.  I'm not even through the first hour and this woman is crying out for some "dual diagnosis."  Obviously she can't produce a single coherent sentence.  I'm appalled that Phil's going to wring a second show out of her.

 

"And TOMORROW, Jennifer's son joins his sister and grandparents to provide further evidence that Jennifer's a basket case."

 

(P.S.  Jennifer's mother looks like she belongs on the Amish Mafia show.  Yikes, she's . . .severe.)

I thought she looked like The Grandmother in Flowers In The Attic.

[camom]

These shows were sad, really.  The woman obviously has severe mental problems, which isn't something that should be treated as entertainment.  The rest of the family was quite reasonable, and I'm glad the grandparents have custody so that the little girl can have a somewhat normal life.  

[Wings]

TV can be entertaining and educational.  Someone at home may be able to see themselves or loved one behaving like a guest and seek help realizing it is a mental problem.  Laughter can bring someone to their senses, too.  Her behavior did have some comic elements.  I think it was good for her to experience how others are perceiving her.  

[molly]

Outside of the addicts, I don't remember ever seeing someone who was so ill on this show. Jennifer's poor family. She made me feel heartbroken and stabby at the same time, so I can't imagine how living with her feels.

[QuelleC]

The only thing remotely educational was a reminder $hill fundamentally refuses to acknowledge mental illness exists that might require meds.  I don't recall him ever suggesting there is depression or schizophrenia or anything that couldn't be fixed by manning up, stop being a victim, and let my business associates run you through every diagnostic test available so they can run a commercial for their vacation resort.  He does acknowledge drug addiction because you know drugs will always lead to death every time according to $hill (apologies to anyone who has lost someone to drugs, it can definitely happen but not the way $hill puts it).  I watched Monday, glad I wasn't home for Tuesday.  The two parters are almost without exception terrible and unnecessary.  That was nothing but exploitation.  Oh and how does he always find rich people with problems?  Families that spend $160,000 on an adult child and could afford their own treatment.  I have to wonder about his screening process. 

[candall]

I think Phil's screening process is anything splashy enough to make a National Enquirer I-Ate-My-Baby promo clip.

[Toaster Strudel]

This was really sad, Jennifer's speech was a random concoction of various phrases and figures of speech without any meaning whatsoever.  I don't know if what she has is curable, what she needs is a diagnostic.  ADD doesn't cut it.  There is more to it.

 

Phil was nice to her, he handled her well on a person-to-person basis, but what this family needed wasn't to have Jennifer on display, because within 5 minutes everyone knows she's not all there and is not able to fulfill any role as a mother.  Her children should be taught to stop trying to rationalize with her, and treat her like the sick person that needs help that she is. Her children are the ones that need the most help learning to cope with her mental illness since she refuses to address it... because she's too wrapped up in the illness to see how sick she is.

 

I hope she gets help eventually.

[Wings]

 Most people reach out to Dr Phil in desperation.  This was at play here.  The parents had nowhere to turn and hoped the experience of Dr Phil  would change her gears enough to see she needed help.   Didn't work out for them but it does for some.  

 

She was on drugs, clearly, given the toxicology report.  She was talking like a "meth head" from what I have read.  Hard to separate her the addiction from her illness. 

Edited May 13, 2015 by wings707

[Kellyee]

 

She was on drugs, clearly, given the toxicology report.  She was talking like a "meth head" from what I have read.  Hard to separate her the addiction from her illness.

 

Either way, Dr. Phil put an obviously very disturbed woman on the stage and let the audience laugh at her. For 2 hours. It was so beyond inappropriate that I don't even know where to start.

[Beebee111]

 

The only thing remotely educational was a reminder $hill fundamentally refuses to acknowledge mental illness exists that might require meds.

I'm not sure I saw this at all, because he did question why she wasn't taking her Adderall if it had been described and she was having symptoms of inattention.

 

Either way, Dr. Phil put an obviously very disturbed woman on the stage and let the audience laugh at her. For 2 hours. It was so beyond inappropriate that I don't even know where to start.

 

I am of two minds about this. On one hand, I see this point and really question whether it was appropriate. On the other hand, I don't think we should be hiding away mental illness and that mentally ill people have as much a right as anybody else to participate in society. She wanted to be on the show and be heard - and she probably doesn't have the resources to get help by herself rather than through surrendering some dignity on a reality show. 

 

I think our society always wants to "hide mental illness" as some form of shameful thing and I thought that under the circumstances (a sometimes questionable reality show) Dr Phil was very kind & I appreciated the repeated comments that just because one has a mental illness, that doesn't mean they can't parent. If she gets the right help and medications, she may be able to be a more active participant in her children's lives.

[OhioMom]

Dr. Phil and the Amish Mafia guys

 

You know....I'm not a Dr. Phil fan.  I don't wish him any harm...but I'm not a big fan.  He's got the Amish Mafia guys on there today.  Since I life in an area of Ohio that has a lot of Amish, I thought I'd tune in.  I also grew up around the Amish, and went to school with them.  I'm not an expert, but I am more informed than a lot of people.

 

There are a LOT of things being said on this show today that don't ring true.  Now they've got a lady on there, dressed up in full Amish garb, but she's wearing a wedding ring.  They're saying things on this show, and speaking in generalities, and just generally not giving people a clear and truthful perception of the Amish.

 

Take the show with a grain of salt.

Oh my gosh...Dr. Phil, you are SUCH a jerk!!!

"You wanted a platform...you wanted a voice, use it!" he says to the one Amish guy.  In my opinion, this Amish guy is being totally reasonable in what he's saying...Dr. Phil is just pushing him into making comments that are inflammatory and quite possibly, untrue.

*Reasonable, as in, what he's saying, from what I've observed, it true.

[Jaded]

I thought it was pretty widely known that the show Amish Mafia is pretty much all fake. So when I saw he was having these people on I wondered and still am wondering if he did this to help promote that show for some reason. 

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/amish-mafia-final-season-here-s-why-it-s-fake/article_d45cea48-a3a4-11e3-9cc3-0017a43b2370.html

http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/amishmafia.asp

[cooksdelight]

When I saw he was having Merlin on the show, I had to laugh. No one is nuttier from the Amish Mafia fake show that it is, than Merlin. Only those brute guys with the bats were scarier.

[Jordan27]

One of today's guests wrote a letter to Dr. Phil stating (and I'm paraphrasing) that she trusts the show would not offer the services of a "quack" or charlatan on the program - then they roll out psychic medium John Edward! Ha, ha! When did this show begin to delve into comedy?

I really like Dr. Phil, but I lost some respect for him that would have on and give any credence to JE and his phony abilities. 

 

Edward and his ilk have long been discredited, and only the gullible would believe him or any other person could actually talk to the dead.  

 

Notice they all have seemed to disappear off television.  If these people are so powerful, how come no one seems to pay attention to them on a mass basis. 

 

By the way, before anyone mentions all the missing children psychics have helped find, there's one interesting fact you should know...

 

The Bureau of Missing Children has not one case of any psychic ever finding a missing child. 

[Jordan27]

The television show Leverage, season 2 episode 13 "The Future Job", with Luke Perry as the psychic, laid out exactly how psychics work in a very clear and concise way. It was taken from an actual psychic show, who's name I can't remember because of my DayQuil (non-drowsy my ass). That big-named psychic skeptic that was always trying to get Sylvia Brown to take his challenge, busted him, and I think the psychic went to jail for fraud.

 

The big-named skeptic you are talking about is James Randi, or the Amazing Randi.  He was a magician at one time and spends most of his time debunking supernatural nonsense. 

 

By the way, he had a special on in the early nineties challenging all those with supernatural abilities to come on his show and prove their abilities and win a lot of money.  Psychics, a divining rod type, and an astrologer were some on those on the show.  Not only did no one prove their abilities.  Everyone failed miserably.  Sylvia Browne was the psychic who failed.  Check the internet.  I'm sure there is a copy around somewhere.

[Christina]

I forgot all about this post. James Randi is who I was thinking of, but I still don't remember the psychic. I was thinking it was Uri Geller, but I'm really not sure about it. I don't remember him having that huge following. It was a preacher or something.

 

Sylvia continued to say she would take his Million Dollar Challenge, but then never appeared. It became a running joke to him. She was very good at cold-reading, but when she was wrong, it was big. You could see the people faces fall on Montel when they realized she was a fraud. It was always sad.

 

Edit:  Peter Popoff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Popoffwas the man I was trying to remember that he exposed.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Christina

[molly]

She was on drugs, clearly, given the toxicology report.  She was talking like a "meth head" from what I have read.  Hard to separate her the addiction from her illness.

I'm definitely not a doctor, but I have spent time around meth addicts with varying degrees of problems, and what Jennifer was doing seemed like more than speed brain or tweak speak. She was powerless to stop even for a moment. It would be interesting to know if there is some schizoaffective disorder at play, because it sure seemed like something profound.

[OhioMom]

I thought it was pretty widely known that the show Amish Mafia is pretty much all fake. So when I saw he was having these people on I wondered and still am wondering if he did this to help promote that show for some reason. 

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/amish-mafia-final-season-here-s-why-it-s-fake/article_d45cea48-a3a4-11e3-9cc3-0017a43b2370.html

http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/amishmafia.asp

it's fake and it's not.  Fake is the term "Mafia".  There is, indeed, a fund that the Amish pay into, called Amish Aid, that helps them to cover medical or other expenses.  Many of them do not have conventional insurance, although MANY (as I learned working for a major tax preparer this tax season) are on Medicaid (due to having children with disabilities) and some do have traditional, employer supplied, medical coverage. Still, Amish Aid covers the cost of other things that insurance doesn't.  And it's true, that there are primarily a few key figures who go throughout the community collecting for Amish Aid. The term "Amish Mafia" was invented by the producers of the show, because they thought it sounded "cool"....way cooler than...Amish Aid, anyway.

 

Also true is the idea of shunning, although the way Dena was explaining it on the show was incorrect, and the way Levi explained it was accurate.  Dena made is sound like you couldn't eat or have anything to do with a shunned person.  You can eat with them, but not at the same table.  Many Amish families have gotten around this by putting two tables side by side, one for the shunned person, the other for everyone else, but with one table cloth covering them both. 

 

They were also pretty rough on Levi about his lifestyle, but he is correct -- he has not joined the Church, so he has more leeway (as do all Amish who have not joined the church) in terms of what he wears, or the things he does.  That whole bit about the hats, and wearing them, or not wearing them, between Merlin (who I agree, is a nutjob) and Levi (who is just slick) was bizarre. 

 

Remember the movie about the Amish, "The Witness"?  Guess who's house actress Kelly McGillis stayed at while trying to learn how to portray an Amish widow with kids?  Levi's house.  His mom was her inspiration, as she was an Amish widow.  Kelly actually lived with them for a month, or perhaps longer. 

 

Yeah, there was  a lot of made up stuff going on during the show, but there were also things that were based in truth, too.  And of the two, Levi or Merlin, Levi more accurately depicted himself both on the show, and on Dr. Phil.

While working for the tax people, one of my co-workers was an Amish guy.  I picked  his brain about the whole Amish Mafia thing...and he, too, admitted that parts of it were based in fact, although he laughed at some of the portrayals, as we all have.

[Morgalisa]

The AD/HD meth lady did go to treatment at the end. She went to Origins. It was in the After Taping segment.

[QuelleC]

Yeah, what was the point of that?  His sleep deprivation expert?  I dunno, maybe it was big news in CA when it happened.  $hill likes those stories.  On top of it all, more rich people with problems. I kept looking at those marble pillars.  I'm not sure how you go from living in an "awful" apartment that made her husband angry and her daughter inconvenienced to something like that.

 

If she is mentally ill it sounds to my untrained ears she has bouts of mania that would explain the activity ordering the magazines, etc. that $hill couldn't understand. Certainly she's angry, at the very least. 

Edited May 15, 2015 by QuelleC