Like the husband and wife who had lost their two children when her mother killed them, then herself. It had only been weeks, but he couldn't wait to get them on the show and ask them questions that are, quite frankly, only asked to elicit an emotional response. It's quite disturbing when he does this.
Ratings at any cost, right?
Time wounds all heels.
They could have declined....
shareAbsolutely, but that still doesn't negate the fact that ratings trump common decency.
Time wounds all heels.
I haven't seen the show in years and just in the past week or two have started to watch it while I'm getting ready in the mornings so I don't know what episode you are talking about but you have to look at it from several different view points.
Frist.....I understand completely what you are saying. Who even asks someone to do that after the trauma of their kids being murdered?
Second....he's just following up and reporting on things that are in the news. While it will still be an interesting topic in say a year or 5 years, it is a current story now and many people want to hear and talk about it now.
Third....The parents should have said no. They are exploiting the death of their children for a few moments in the sun.
The episode I am referring to was one from 2013, I believe. It was just on OWN as a repeat.
I agree with your first two statements, but the last one half way. Yes, they should have said no, but you know, for sure, that Dr. Phil, or his staff (but most likely himself) sold them on coming on the show to "get help" with dealing with what happened.
Ninety nine times out of one hundred the shows don't bother me in the least bit, save for what some of the morons that are on it do. This particular episode, though, just seemed to be way too soon and very exploitive. Sure, again, the people should have declined to be on, but the show even contacting them in the first place is in tremendously bad taste for something like this, especially so soon afterward, though, again, I'm sure it was under the guise of giving them help.
The purpose of the show, first and foremost, is entertainment, and education of issues comes in a distant second, though he constantly tries to sell it otherwise.
I don't normally have much bad to say about the show, nor him. It is what it is, and that's daytime entertainment, though most definitely a LARGE step above something like Jerry Springer. With that said, this one particular episode, probably more than any I've seen, just seemed to step over the line with its exploitation.
BTW...remember what he did with Britney Spears? If not, search it on Google. That was a textbook example of exploitation.
Time wounds all heels.
He could, or someone on his staff, very well have sold them on the point of getting help. But you also have to remember that they could get the same help privately if they wanted too.
But being on the show got them nation wide attention and sympathy, on tv, and a trip to LA and probably other nice compensations.