Dr. Phil was embedded with ICE during controversial Los Angeles immigration raids | CNN Business
www.cnn.com
The footage is being incorporated into a special report on “Dr. Phil Primetime,” a program on McGraw’s conservative TV channel Merit TV, a spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
    • TargaryenTKE@lemmy.world
      47·
      6 days ago

      1-Why did ICE allow Dr. Phil to be in their group?

      Well, he’s a well-known media figure of claims to be centrist and unbiased, so his presence/footage could have provided a veneer of doubt to most other media coverage. They eventually need SOMEONE to play that role if they don’t want to be the literal bad guys

      2-Why did Dr. Phil agree to do this?

      Well, as much as he claims to be unbiased and trustworthy, more often than not, his show is pretty much just “guilt trip the nonconformist in front of an audience until they break down and hug their relatives who brought them here” with some commercials sprinkled in for fun profit. He’s basically a big bully with the ‘street cred’ (moustasche) to get away with it

      3-Why did anyone think this would work at all?

      Well, I don’t have the numbers to confirm this, but as an American, I’m confident in saying that most Americans would trust Dr. Phil, more than some random/local reporters (even if that should NOT be the case). Even if you’ve never watched a second of his show, you’ve probably heard his voice, seen others imitate him, or are at least AWARE of his existence, and we’re more likely to trust a source we’ve already encountered before.

      • phutatorius@lemmy.zip
        8·
        5 days ago

        I’m confident in saying that most Americans would trust Dr. Phil

        I wouldn’t trust that yapping head on a stick any farther than I could dropkick him, and I’m not a good kicker.

        • TargaryenTKE@lemmy.world
          2·
          5 days ago

          Maybe “smart” was too simple. Instead let’s go with “politically aware enough to care, rich/connected enough to make a change, and smart enough to know when to act”. Kind of a big ask, I know, but it I know plenty of people who are missing at least one of those three

          Definitely agree on wanting to kick his head though

      • TexasDrunk@lemmy.world
        12·
        6 days ago

        I’m not so sure about number 3. He gets made fun of a lot. Well, he got made fun of a lot then everyone seemed to forget him. Even people with ridiculous accents made fun of his accent (of which I am one).

        The people who believe him are obviously out there. But I’d like to think that most people realize that his show was (is? I don’t know) just Jerry Springer with fewer chairs being thrown and less honesty about what they’re there for.

        On the other hand, I have no good explanation about why they think it would work at all without what you said. So maybe?

  • goodjason@lemmy.worldEnglish
    15·
    4 days ago

    What is it with guys Oprah made famous having fake or no credentials in their supposed “area of expertise” and also being close to Trump?

    • TrueStoryBob@lemmy.world
      4·
      4 days ago

      Seriously… the fact that Rachel Ray is the only one to made it out of Oprah’s influence with any kind of wide-spread appeal is crazy.

      • ivanafterall ☑️@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        3 days ago

        Yeah, she’s obviously very business savvy/good at playing that game, but missing a few marbles in the critical thinking domain. Like one or two other people you may have heard of.

    • nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca
      52·
      6 days ago

      America is beyond any possible satire.

      Not to mention they say “embedded” as if these goons are dodging sniper fire and mortars in Fallujah. Dude probably got his photo op and then walked over to Erewon for a $19 smoothie.

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    29·
    6 days ago

    lol holy fuck every time he does something incredibly dumb and pointless, I think “this is it; surely he won’t top this”.

    And yet here we are.

  • SeeMarkFly@lemmy.mlEnglish
    8·
    6 days ago

    He’s there to kiss any boo-boos.

    He’s the only one they could find that was certifiable.