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I remember when Dr. Phil first came on the air. At the time, exploitative and trashy ambush shows like Jerry Springer and Ricki Lake were the dominant format, and his low key, relatively in-depth style was starkly refreshing.
I'm not saying Dr. Phil was some kind of infallible holy guru, but in the context of the Television wasteland, he was a true positive force. He would only have one, maybe two couples to talk with, spent the entire show methodically breaking down their problems, and offered pragmatic, understated advice.
Though I was never a devoted watcher, if I was going to have the TV on in the backround while I puttered around the house in the afternoon, Dr. Phil was the show to go to.
Boy has it ever changed for the worse. Now, a multitude of angry, petty guests are paraded across the stage over the course of an hour, 80% of the show is dedicated to lurid taped dramatizations of their conflicts, and all he can do in the time remaining is spout the same old dogged advice. The focus has really changed to the same sleazy voyarism found on the other shows. Add in copious plugs and product placements and you've got a recipe for looming irrelevancy.
I didn't bother watching the clip, but it sounds like they're getting desparate and stooping even lower. I hate self righteous, grandstanding, moralizing bullshit like this.
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Building an artificial intelligence that appreciates Mozart is easy. Building an A.I. that appreciates a theme restaurant is the real challenge - Kit Roebuck - Nine Planets Without Intelligent Life
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