maxinquaye

anyone happen to catch this?
i dont think ive *ever* seen such a trainwreck on television as this.
in the episode, a family essentially put their son up in front of the firing squad on tv, wanting the truth of whether or not he is a child molester.
he kept wavering back and forth on the issue, so they made him do a lie detector, which positively confirmed (as much as the science can) that he indeed was.
he continued to deny that he molested his younger sister, but admitted he had the impulse to.
he also confirmed that he had been molested when he was younger.
he was 19, and the family said they wanted this nipped in the bud (so to speak) before he got older and it got worse. his little sister, not appearing on the show, was apparently 14. i guess there had been a number of complaints and suspicious behavior about him, which is why the family brought him on the show- i didnt catch all of it though.

by the end of the show, his father basically said that he was ready to move on- he knew that today would be the day the road forked, and he would go one way while his son went the other.
his mother said she couldnt believe she would ever give birth to such a monster, but that she still loved him.
his older brother said he was just tired of it all.
but then they asked his two younger brothers, the first of whom just said he didnt know what to think and that he had to be away from him for a while.
the second kid though, who was maybe 12...without crying, or even batting an eye, just goes "i will never forgive him. i hate him. i hate him more than anyone or anything that ive ever hated. i never want to have anything to do with him anymore. i could care less what happens to him."
and this is all right in front of the kid.

i cant believe they put this stuff on television. the 19 year old kid just looked overwhelmed and confused and just out of his element. i guess at this point you have to "help" the kid at any cost, and it is an emergency in some sense...but is this really a healthy way to do it?
especially when every 20 minutes you have to announce that you're going to commercial break...

anyway, i dont want to make this thread to pass judgement on anyone in the show, necessarily. i felt really bad for this kid, as someone without context watching it on tv. but i obviously dont condone what he's done. im just wondering if anyone happened to catch this. it was the most painful and awkward thing i think ive ever seen on tv, and it wasnt the fake over-the-top springer crap, it was a real thing. i cant imagine dr. phil's confrontational method is really a good thing for every situation...and im not sure that this was one of them. and im not altogether sure why this family would want to put themselves out there like they did...i know dr. phil is very helpful to many, but there *have* to be many other equally effective doctors, who just so happen to NOT be on television for the world to see...especially for a topic so sensitive and hot-button as this one. it's not like you're trying to get a soccer mom to lose a few pounds here. the whole thing was really just amazing, in the worst possible way.

movieking

I actually caught some of this show, but I had to turn it off. I'm glad that you posted about this, since I was curious what was going to happen. I think that this was a "special" two part show.

The 19 year olf had a history of sexual deviancy, including phone sex with underage girls, assaults on girls at his school, etc. He was also addicted to porn on the internet, and the parents had to take away his network cable, block long distance calls, and disable collect calls on their phones.

I think that things seemed to come to a head when they realized that their daughters private parts started to look like they were red and irritated. The girl had a close relationship with the 19 year old, and due to the nature of some of the things that he had done in the past, they suspected him right away.

Of course, maybe that could have been avoided if they had taken the other warning signs seriously. It shouldn't have taken their child getting abused before they acted on it. It's too late then. The kid had been showing signs basically all of his life, and along with his record (he also stole things, etc), things shouldn't have gotten that far. He should have been dealt with, either in some kind of group home for his criminal problems, or some kind of clinic for his sexual problems.

boredsilly

See this is just sick. Shame on the parents for being so stupid in not getting their kid help earlier and when they finally do have it be on national tv? Ugh. And shame on Dr. Phil for exploiting these peoples problems.

I don't mind Dr. Phil really. It isn't my cup of tea, but whatever. If people want to go on hear to be screamed on for not giving their wives enough quality time or because they can't stop binge eating fine, but when there is a serious issue the people should go seek serious help. How can any real "break throughs" be made in the span of one or two episodes of a television show between the audience applause?

beavismom

I only watched the first part, but here is some more info. The little sister is 4, not 14. Both parents were sexually abused in the past. From the reactions of the brothers, my opinion is that he may have molested them too. I couldn't watch yesterday.

Third Baseman

I watched the first. Didn't watch the 2nd.

The shit shouldn't be on tv.

movieking

You are right about the age of the girl; I forgot to correct it in my post. As for the brothers, when you say that they may have been molested, are you talking about by the older brother? I think that is what you are saying, but I just wanted to confirm. Is the abuser the oldest?

das Monkey

I watched both episodes in stunned silence. I'm not even sure how to comment on it now. I thought it was interesting how the father said "you're dead to me" when they learned the truth and essentially stuck to that position.

das

taa455

Actually Dr Phil doesn't just have the guest on the show for 1 hour and cut them loose. He sets them up with professionals and follows up with the guest to make sure they get help.

IMO, this 19 year old kid is so sick and such a liar that he needed something as big as this to crack through that shell of his. The parents are so messed up themselves (both had been molested) that I really don't think they are capable of getting him the help he needs. I don't see how Dr Phil is exploiting these people. They agreed to be on the show and in fact sought out Dr Phil's help.

xfilekr

I had to turn it before they did the lie detector...

taa455

Why not? The molester is now on a track to get help, very expensive expert help that he would not have gotten otherwise. The young girl is now protected, whereas before everyone might have continued to live in denial and the girl could've been molested again. Viewers' awareness of molestation and possible warning signs has been heightened, and maybe someone was given the courage to come forward with their own issues or the tools to confront someone who is a molester or has tendencies. This show is much more constructive than many many other shows on. Like people on this board say all the time, "If you don't like it, change the channel."

boredsilly

I think it's exploitation just because they put up on tv to be showcased. I don't think it's about creating awareness, but more along the lines of finding something sensational to put up to captivate viewers. Granted yay for them getting help that they maybe wouldn't have if they didn't come on TV, but still. It all rubs me the wrong way. Just like Jenny Craig, Jerry Springer, Montel Williams, and all Court shows that are on TV (Judge Judy, Joe Mathis...) do. I've always found the people who went on these shows for "help" were either dying for attention or not in their right minds. If you know you need help, why does a camera need to be present to get things worked out?

I would have a ton more respect for the whole situation if Dr. Phil saw this case in his perspective guest list and decided that the family should skip his show and go straight for some serious help with a qualified doctor. And maybe that has happened in the past, dunno? Anyways.

taa455

I don't mean to get into a big argument with you, but I think you do Dr Phil's show a disservice by lumping him in with the likes of Springer, et al.

boredsilly

Well to be fair Springer is in a class all by himself , so you're right on that account.

Third Baseman

I watch Dr. Phil when I can. I like alot of his shows, and I like what he does most of the time. Yeah, most, if not all of his shows up the awareness, and I guess that is a great thing, but I don't know, I just don't feel like this boy getting emotionally slaughtered by his family on national tv was all that great or needed (but hey, it wouldn't be as exciting or shocking, eh?), because either this boy really feels the urge to become better for these people now as before he wasn't? Or this boy is really messed up in the head and runs off and kills himself, because I know I couldn't take it, although all of it is probally deserved. Who knows. It's good. It's bad. It's really screwed up. But if this was the only way to protect the girls he has molested, then ok then.

Jazzbutcher

Anyone who think Dr Phil gives a crap about anyone on his show is fooling themselves. His show exists for one reason only: to make money. The show needs viewers in order to get paid by advertisers. To get more viewers, the show will resort to just about anything to get you to tune in. Springer cut to the chase and went right to the sleaze--Dr. Phil as well as many others are going there slowly but surely.

Putting your child on tv to "out" him as a child molester is reprehensible, as is not dealing with it earlier.

Television, with some minor exceptions, is at an all time low, IMHO.

William Fuld

A 19 year old isn't a "kid", it's an adult, and the only "help" he should be getting is a long prison term.

Dr. DVD

So you are saying that past a certain age the only "help" someone can receive for something of this nature is prison?

movieking

Creepy Dr. Phil crosses the line
By BILL BRIOUX -- Toronto Sun

WARNING: Watching Dr. Phil could be hazardous to your health.

The windy Texan went way past "Get Real" to get real sensational with yesterday's lurid and disturbing sweeps grabber, Is My Son A Sexual Predator?

On trial, or so it seemed, was Mikai, a 19-year-old accused of sexually attacking and fondling young girls, including -- most shockingly -- his four-year-old sister. He had always denied it.

The boy's grim-faced parents sat in stony silence as Dr. Phil McGraw ripped into their sweaty kid. They had written the TV therapist asking for an intervention (which began on Wednesday's show).

What they got was the full Church of Phil, a psychological beating that seemed at times as wildly inappropriate as the accusations. Bottom line, this kind of intervention should never have taken place on television.

(Proof God agrees: The ending of yesterday's show was cut short on NBC's Buffalo affiliate with a bulletin on the Pope's tracheotomy. Dr. Phil also airs at 5 p.m. on CTV.)

It should be stated that McGraw's show does foot the bill for any psychological expenses that these families incur. The intention is to help families in crisis. Some people are desperate for 15 minutes of TV fame, some are just desperate.

Yesterday, however, Dr. Phil completely crossed the line in terms of his belief in his own power. Things reached a Howard Beale-like level of insanity.

"You can come in here and you can try and bull---- me all day long," he hollered at the kid during what was described as a three-hour studio break (while cameras still rolled). "You can save us all a lot of trouble if you just want to get real now."

The boy's father finally lost it. "You better talk to (Dr. Phil) because you're dead to us," he told Mikai. The mom lamented giving birth "to a sexual predator."

Where McGraw completely jumped the shark was when he brought in an expert and strapped the kid to a polygraph machine. "Have you ever touched your sister's vagina or breasts?" Makai was asked. Cut to wildly zig-zaggy lines.

The show featured plenty of disturbing images (an advisory was posted at the start). Shots of Mikai at home on the floor aggressively wrestling with his sister (her face blurred) were shown over and over. Spooky, blue-ish shots of Makai at odd angles were intercut with clean-cut class photos. The kid was crisply edited into a criminal corner.

By the end, Mikai broke down and admitted his guilt. That's when Dr. Phil let loose with this head scratcher: "Were you telling the truth when you said you were a pathological liar?"

Mission accomplished, a grim-faced Dr. Phil took his wife Robin's hand and, as he does at the end of every show, walked off the set. He promised to stand by and help Mikai and to protect the little sister.

He said nothing about undoing the damage this public stoning will surely bring. Mikai needed this wakeup call and if it stops his abhorrent behaviour maybe it was worth it. But how do you recover if you are branded for life as that pervert from the Dr. Phil show?

beavismom

I believe he is the oldest. The reason I think they may have been molested as well is the obvious deep hatred they felt for him. I think younger brothers may have proved an easy target for him when he was starting this behavior. I think he was molesting long before the little sister was born.

I chose not to watch the second show because the first left me feeling so awful, but if you visit the boards at Dr. Phil (I was looking for the lie detector results) you will see that this isn't as uncommon as we would like to hope. Dr. Phil claims to want to expose these rarely talked about secrets. I don't doubt that there is a ratings twist as well, but let's not forget he was a very successful therapist before he had a show.

I don't think I would want to go on the show, but I don't have any problems that have reached that point. I don't know that I would put this on the level of Springer or "Who's my baby daddy" Povich.

William Fuld

That's exactly what I'm saying.

dave-o

Uh...no he wasn't. He wasn't even practicing as a clinical psychologist. He was working as a psychologist/consultant who helped select jury members. Please do not think that b/c he has his own TV show, this must mean he is at the top of his field. It does not, in fact it typically means quite the opposite. Most psychologists, like myself, believe that someone like Dr. Phil usually does far more harm than good.

taa455

I could be wrong, but I thought he had practiced psychology privately for 10 years before he started doing the jury consulting work. I don't want to sound like a Dr. Phil shill, but I know for a fact that he has helped many people through his show and books. Airing this molester show might have been a step over the line, but I don't think we can discount/ignore all the good he has accomplished.

William Fuld

This show was more of a continuation over the line that he first stepped over when he did his primetime special a while back, the one where he basically labeled a young boy as a potential serial killer.

riley_dude

Never could figure out what the facination with Dr. Phil was.
His voice alone bugs me. I cant sit through an entire show.

Dr. DVD

So under your belief, do you think someone who seeks help after the adult age hits should just be sent to jail for their treatment, even if they haven't done anything but feel they have the potential to turn if not helped soon?

What's interesting is that throwing people with mental problems in prison is something that was more or less prescribed back in the days before people started doing the kind of work Dr. Phil does.