jpmck03

I know it's a day or two old, but has anyone seen the segment of Dr. Phil where he kicks the creator of the "Bumfights" DVDs off of his show?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNPvdsJS-qE

My 2cents:

I call it as complete and pure BS.

Notice how he warns the audience that the clip that they are about to see is disturbing, yet he makes it out like he's appalled at what he sees... like he hadn't seen it, but had the foresight to know it was disturbing.

What's with the "stop the tape" deal anyways? Notice that the tape stops before he even says it?

And the thing with him not knowing that he was dressed like him (which some people mentioned on youtube)... It's called a "green room." It's where guests stay before they come out. I'm sure someone on his staff would have seen it...

Pure publicity. Dr. Phil, you suck.

Edit:
Any opinions on this ?

mixedmedia

Universal law #322 - If it is on tv and it says that it's real...it's not really real.

And I've never liked Dr. Phil.

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maleficent

he's a putz who's after ratings... nothign more...

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Psycho Dad

There was something on VH1 or MTV the other night showing all the lengths that reality shows go to to look real. As you point out, afternoon talk shows are no different I'm sure.

I have a strong dislike for Dr. Phil and his show as well.

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Lasereth

1. That looked staged for both the creator of the videos and Dr. Phil. It was at the end of the video when he asked for it to be turned off and it was turned off way too fast.

2. The creator would have asked one simple question if it wasn't staged: "why did you have me come on your show if you're not gonna talk to me?"

3. If it wasn't staged (and I'm almost positive it is) then it was extremely rude and unprofessional of Phil to kick him off the show. What a waste of freaking time and money on that guy's behalf. I did find it entertaining that the guy was dressed up as Dr. Phil though, even with the same haircut and hair color/suit.

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Lady Sage

Never liked Dr. Phil anyway..... this is the icing on the proverbial cake.

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ngdawg

I can't stand the guy either. My mom swears by him, watches it every day, quotes him....
That was simply a self-serving, "look how righteous I am" ploy. The tape goes to pixellating and then he says stop the tape??? Don't quit the day job, Phil..you suck at acting...

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Kaliena

It was definitely staged:

First and foremost, MANY employees made the introductory tape for the Bumfights guy. IE the video that introduces the guest. They had to take clips and put it all together in a coherent way that would also inspire the emotional response they are looking to create.

After the video is created, clearly the shows producers, Dr Phil and others, would view this tape due to the strict regulations that follow the public TV network, as well as personal PR reasons.

They also choose the guest they have. This was not some guest that "I've heard about before but I don't really know what he does or why he does it..."

And, as noted above, it was turned off at the end of the video.

Complete and utter publicity stunt. Does anyone know if Dr. Phils ratings are dropping? Has he not been covering any particular push button issues as of the late? Is there some sort of public discrepency that he's trying to avoid? The only one I can think of is that the two brothers who were suspects from the Natalie Holloway incident are suing him because he supposively aired phone conversations that were suppose to be private.

Link

So, that's my two cents. I don't watch Dr. Phil enough to answer some of the above questions.

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silent_jay

I love how Dr. Phil has no answer to the guy asking about Phil exploiting guests, seems to be what the good doctor does everyday on his show. I guess when he does it though it's fine.

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magictoy

A friend of mine was on Maury. You can't say it's officially entirely scripted, but they tell their guests what to say. This time, they'd already told the host.

ALL shows in this genre make me cringe.

aberkok

That was extremely transparent. So full of contradictions.

I love the fact that the Bumfights guy was dressed as Dr. Phil, though. That was a very funny thing to do.

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fresnelly

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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analog

I have thoroughly loathed that moron for a looooong time... I'm sad to see him get all this press over yet more of his crap.

Moskie

So... did the Bumfights guy shave his head to look like Dr. Phil? Was it a bald cap? Staged or not, dressing like Dr. Phil on his own show is funny.

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Mister Coaster

I think the bumfights dude was ready, willing and prepared to beat Dr. Phil at his own game. You think they decided not to go forward with the interview after they saw how the other dude was dressed? Maybe the whole thing was staged, maybe not. Either way both Bumfights and Phil get publicity. In the tape the bumfights dude already stated he was a multi-millionaire thanks to the tastes of the American public, so I'm sure he could give a shit wether or not he actually got to go one-on-one with Dr. Phil.

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caver

I have only had a little experience with live tv, but when Dr Phill kicked off the bumfights guy, I was certain it was BS. They knew what he was about before he was ever asked on the show. The tapes would have been seen several times by the production crew in editing the clip. DOH! How stupid do they think their viewers are?
I wish I could remember which episode it was when I decided that this show had jumped the shark, although affiliating with E-harmony didn't help.
Perhaps it was the Dr Phill House concept, where he actively participated in creating discord. I used to appreciate what I thought, Dr Phill was doing.
Now, just another T.V. huckster.

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Cynthetiq

what is the difference between the bumfights and the japanese game shows, or fear factor? IMO the degree the "talent" gets paid.

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Willravel

Doctor Phil is like John Edwards for southerners or people who ar mystified by psychology. It's all fake. It's all bullshit. Dr. Phil is a douche bag.

florida0214

Dr. Phill is a dumb ass who rode Oprah's rather large shirt tails to the bank. He needs more viewers and I guess unemployed stay at home moms who do little more than eat and cry all day just were not cutting it. Dude needs tog et a life and move on.

Rality show is nothing like reality. It all come down to the almight dollar.

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Psycho Dad

Damn. I get the feeling nobody on this board cares for the over-hyped fart bag.

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Xenu

I don't watch the guy often if at all, but I could have sworn the good 'dr.' was just trying to do a parody show of the rest of the psychobabble that's out there. If he's being serious, he's just as much of a douche as the rest of the daytime junk.

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Willravel

Yes, Dr. Laura got fat and bald then wasrediscovered by Oprah. Beware people acting as moral compases. They're usually bastards.

Xera

I think it is a very sad comment on American society that someone can become a multi millionair due to our penchant for watching others be degraded, beaten, and brutilized. We disgust me.

Dr. Phil is just almost as disgusting.

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Temporary_User

i saw this a few days ago, off a different site that doesnt allow comments. I immediately thought something was up. why does the tape scramble when Dr. phil says to stop the tape? (nice how jpmck03 points out its before) Wouldnt the tape just stop and cut to Dr. Phil?
I (un)fortunately goto school and have a job so I don't get to watch Dr. Phil too much, but does anyone know if this was actually aired on TV?
It seems to me that if Dr. Phil was so disgusted by this he would have not aired this and a re-run would have happened.
I used to watch bumfights quite a few years ago. I didnt know it was still around or getting publicity. I downloaded it though, and everyone else I know did the same. I'm curious as too how much this guy has actually made with his bumfights videos. I don't know if i've have ever seen it in a video store to buy or rent.

I want to hear the opinion who this Dr. Phil is in the right in this. (that's worded badly, I just cant think of a better way right now)

Charlatan

You guys have it ALL wrong. Dr. Phil is a genius.

The people who buy his books, watch his show, take his homespun advice and make him very wealthy are the fools.

I am not surprised by a stunt like this. It's all part of the gravy train.

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Lady Sage

Dr. Phil is beginning to remind me of soft core Jerry Springer. Its only a matter of time...

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Minds are like parachutes, they function best when open.
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maleficent

Geoge Carlin has a routine about the whole concept of Self Help Books that basically says the help is supposed to come from self - meaning yourself - not someone else's self and if you buy into that crap - then you're basically a moron... I think charlatan summed it u p quite well

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Willy

I'd like to see one of those Bums beat the crap out of Dr. Phil. That's a DVD I would buy.

mixedmedia

heh heh, good point

I think this should go over on the fantasies thread.

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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

skier

I fully believe that this segment was staged, but I'm curious as to if the bumfights guy was actually blindsided by dr. phil; his outrage does seem genuine, like he had prepared for this argument a great deal and then it was taken away from him. At least he had the wits about him to throw out his main point.

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jerseyboy

Lets face it people will eat anything up Oprah feeds to them, and yet amazingly every show she has given someone has sucked incredibly. I just wish most of america would wake up to the shit they are being fed.

paulskinback

Dr phil is a penis

The bumfights creator though, dressing like him and shaving his head, is a comedy genius

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Bill O'Rights

But, isn't that...boxing?

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mixedmedia

I beg to differ...

Dr. Phil is a penis.

The bumfights creator is a prick.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

paulskinback

Yeah he definitely is that too

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Intense1

Dr. Phil's show is not a "reality based" show - so why is he allowing this bumhole to even come on to his show, if not for the value-added fact of kicking him off? How staged was this???!!! Man, he's just one step up from Springer now, in my book.

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sprocket

It definitely looked staged to me, but on both parties accounts.

I like how at the end, Dr Phil says "I'm not going to give you any help to publicize this", and THATS EXACTLY WHAT HE DID!

It works out for both parties.. the guy gets to publicize Bum Fights on national tv, and now the clip is spreading all around on viral video sites. Any consumer that would likely purchase those tapes would obviously side with him, while Dr Phil gets bumped up a couple notches in the eyes of his viewers. Win Win for both of them.

Phil probably got tons of encouraging mail and support from his crazy fans, and I can guarantee you, Bum Fights is getting a decent spike in sales off of this.

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HamiC

Spot on...for a video like this, there is no such thing as bad publicity. It would be interesting to know how many Dr. Phil fans (can I assume little old ladies or housewives?) ordered the tape. Not many, I would guess. But it would real funny to meet any that did.

Well deserved bashing of Dr. Phil and his fans aside, the tapes are pretty sick. Which is not to say I don't defend the producer's rights to create them...I just think it is a lousy thing to do.


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