Mary’s Monday Metazoan: Shhhh. I’m in disguise. » « Foreign policy is not a Hollywood action movie

The flamboyantly cheesy Dr Oz

This article is mainly about the money-making side of Dr Oz’s enterprises, but the accompanying video is stunning. I don’t think I’ve ever watched his show, so the excerpts are surprising: he uses these gimmicky stunts to promote quackery, like people punching through paper signs, exploding balloons, using a hose to wash away the word “fat” — I had no idea it was such a cheap circus.

Mary’s Monday Metazoan: Shhhh. I’m in disguise. » « Foreign policy is not a Hollywood action movie

Comments

  1. waydude says

    Ah, but just this morning I read that doctor oz is preparing a special show just to answer his critics. So, that will be that I suppose.

  4. Akira MacKenzie says

    anym @ 2

    Freeze Peach, and I’d wager a big, fat donation check from Oprah Winfrey.

  5. HolyPinkUnicorn says

    It’s like a watching an old-timey patent medicine ad come to life, though I’m guessing Oz isn’t so reckless that he would try to sell cocaine-infused soda to his viewers–at least not yet, anyway–even if he’s only in it for the money.

  6. robro says

    waydude @1 “doctor oz is preparing a special show just to answer his critics”

    Perhaps the Oz is failing Rule #3 of Roger Rosenblatt’s Rules for Aging, Leave Bad Enough Alone:

    This rule requires some amplification because it involves on of the more complictaed, charming, and lethal human faculties—optimism—specifically the optimism that embraces the belief that presistent clarification after one has committed a social blunder will make everything all right.

    I would think that anyone on TeeVee would know better. Clearly some of his producers and sponsors appreciate the risk that a public defense might become a worse PR disaster.

  7. blf says

    [Oz Teh Quack] uses these gimmicky stunts … like people punching through paper signs, exploding balloons, using a hose to wash away the word “fat”

    A competent production team and facilities are probably expensive — even if there is no CGI or other technowizardy — increasing the costs and, more importantly, decreasing the profit$$$.

  8. Bob Merlin says

    For his defense – “The Trifecta!”
    Oprah, Oz and Dr. Phil explain the errors of his detractors and why “Ozzie” should be allowed to glorify his homeopathic wonders of the world.

    Personally, I hope he gets fired because I’ve got his replacement ready to go! My guy’s a got better “Q” rating and everyone considers him warm and fuzzy… I give you “Dr. Bob” from the Muppets TV show! He’s still a little rough around the edges as his cure for everything is “stick a hand up your a$$!” Guess who his fat expert is, “Miss Piggy!” His latest associate is “Dr. Snake Oil,” the world renowned elixir and patent medicine distiller.

  9. microraptor says

    One of my coworkers is hooked on this fraud. She’s always repeating the latest junk she’s heard on his show. The current thing is sneezes: if you sneeze multiple times it’s allergies, but if you sneeze once it’s a cold. I told her that as someone who has serious seasonal allergies and has also had numerous colds there absolutely wasn’t any sort of pattern based on how many times you sneeze. Of course, she doesn’t believe me because I’m not a doctor (nevermind my degree in biology which included quite a few courses on human biology and anatomy or the fact that my sister is a doctor).