Dr. Phil's, "House of Hatred"

[Green Gaia]

Ok, I don't normally watch Dr. Phil (or any talk shows for that matter), but I happened to catch his show yesterday which was the first in a series of shows on Mondays called the House of Hatred. They taken 6 people who are full of hate for another group of people and put them in a house together along with the people they claim to hate.

Synopsis:
Six individuals with different judgments and prejudices move into The Dr. Phil House together, with cameras capturing every move as they struggle to challenge their own beliefs and values. Gary is a white supremacist, and B. is an African-American who hates white people. Staci is thin and hates fat people, and John is over 600 pounds and hates skinny people. Christina fears and hates homosexuals, and Tessa is a lesbian who hates straight people. They all work together in various assignments from Dr. Phil. Will they break down the walls of hatred and intolerance and learn to accept one another?

Anyone else watch this? What were your thoughts on the people in the house? From just watching the first show the only ones I think have any hope right now of overcoming their hatred is Tessa and Christina, everyone else seems very, very angry and set in their ways.

 

[evearael]

*Twitch* so much hate! Sounds like it will get ratings, but I'm not sure I could stomach it.

 

[Bishka]

Sounds interesting, like evearael said, I'm sure it'll get ratings.

 

[Green Gaia]

*Twitch* so much hate! Sounds like it will get ratings, but I'm not sure I could stomach it.

I generally can't stomach such things either, but this was interesting because it was people who recognize they have this hate and in some way acknowledge they want to change, that's why they're there. But it's not going to be easy or pretty.

 

[Green Gaia]

One thing I noticed is the group is split between those who hate what the other group is, and those who hate because how they have been treated by the other group.

For example, Tessa says she hates straight people because of how they have treated her because she is a lesbian. John says he hates thin people because of how they have treated him because he is overweight. B. says she hates white people because of how they have treated her because she is an African-American.

On the other side, Christina say she hates gay people because she thinks it's gross and they are going to hell. Staci says she hates fat people because they are lazy, stupid, and smelly. Gary says he hates black people because he believes whites to be superior.

So there is initial hatred and reactionary hatred. I'm not sure which will be easier to overcome.

 

[Faint]

Sounds fun. And if they all start brawling, Dr. Phil can put it on pay-per-view.

I want to see more of these hate houses, but come on--let's up the ante a little. White supremists, homophobes, fat-ophobes (whatever). *Yawn* You want ratings? Put a child molestor in there with a man who was molested as a child. Get an anti-abortion activist with a pro-choice female boxer. Or ME and the Bush Administration!

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I'm afraid that I missed it. There's enough trouble with me trying to get through the conflict and nastiness that the guests display toward each other on 'normal' episodes that I really didn't want to watch this one.

Hopefully, though, everything can work out toward the greatest good. For myself, I imagine that the reactionary-haters would have an easier time overcoming their feelings than the other kind. Not sure why I think that, though. Maybe because a reactionary can point to a specific event and say 'that's what's causing my feelings', whereas the other type can't.

 

[Scuba Pete]

So there is initial hatred and reactionary hatred. I'm not sure which will be easier to overcome.

What an interesting observation! When is this show on?

 

[Katzpur]

Anyone else watch this? What were your thoughts on the people in the house? From just watching the first show the only ones I think have any hope right now of overcoming their hatred is Tessa and Christina, everyone else seems very, very angry and set in their ways.

I love Dr. Phil and watch him whenever I can -- which is usually about twice a week. I saw this show and thought about RF the whole time I was watching it. The only thing what was missing was a fundamentalist Christian and a fundamentalist Muslim. I guess they maybe figured their security guard might not be able to handle that much hatred. But it really would have been a kind of interesting addition to the group.

Actually Tessa and Christina were the only ones of the six who struck me as even having the potential to overcome their prejudices, but Dr. Phil is pretty good. If anyone can help them (provided any of them actually want help), he can. The rest of them were so disgusting and full of hatred, it made me sick to my stomach.

So there is initial hatred and reactionary hatred. I'm not sure which will be easier to overcome.

You know, I never even picked up on that! I can't believe I was so blind! My first thought, now that you mention it, was that the reactionary hatred is the worse of the two. But in thinking it over, I started wondering if it really is. Is hating somebody because she's black really any worse than generalizing and hating all white people because some white people hate blacks?

 

[Green Gaia]

You know, I never even picked up on that! I can't believe I was so blind! My first thought, now that you mention it, was that the reactionary hatred is the worse of the two. But in thinking it over, I started wondering if it really is. Is hating somebody because she's black really any worse than generalizing and hating all white people because some white people hate blacks?

Both are dispicable in my book. But I think the reactionary hatred may be more easily unlearned by positive experiences with the other group, but I don't know. I think all hate is learned at some point in our lives and it's never easy to undo, but it can be done. But I think the reactionary haters don't hate the other group just because they hate them first, but rather they fear them. Yoda said it best, Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. So until those underlying causes and issues of fear are overcome, hate is always going to have a way in. I can see this in my own life when I have been fearful of a person or group. It's easy to move fear to anger to hatred and I have constantly be mindful not to go down that road.

Anyway, it was a hard show to watch, I hate confrontation and conflict even if I'm not involved in it. But I think its maybe something we all can learn from and maybe if we don't need the lesson, I'll bet someone in our lives does.

 

[Booko]

Both are dispicable in my book. But I think the reactionary hatred may be more easily unlearned by positive experiences with the other group, but I don't know. I think all hate is learned at some point in our lives and it's never easy to undo, but it can be done. But I think the reactionary haters don't hate the other group just because they hate them first, but rather they fear them. Yoda said it best, Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. So until those underlying causes and issues of fear are overcome, hate is always going to have a way in. I can see this in my own life when I have been fearful of a person or group. It's easy to move fear to anger to hatred and I have constantly be mindful not to go down that road.

I'm reminded of a friend of mine and his story. He had just committed an armed robbery. He hated all white people, because of all the things white people had done to him all his life. He made away with the cash and was maybe a mile away from the place he'd just robbed. He came upon this little old white lady working in her yard, and even though he was standing there, winded, with a gun in his hand hanging by his side, she greeted him warmly. Something in him snapped, and he finally realized the hate was irrational. He tossed the gun and ran away, and never committed another crime.

He considers his near escape from prison, not to mention he could've easily killed this old lady, as nothing short of a gift from God.

Anyway, it was a hard show to watch, I hate confrontation and conflict even if I'm not involved in it.

I saw the promo, but didn't think I was up to watching it just now. I do better with that sort of thing when there's some possibility I might be able to make a difference, somewhere, somehow.

 

[Katzpur]

What an interesting observation! When is this show on?

It's in the middle of the day (probably 4:00 P.M. Eastern, 3:00 Central), but I know that here in Salt Lake it is also broacast a day or so after it originally airs, in the evening on another channel. It's on network TV. I'm really pretty interesting in seeing how these people overcome their prejudiced, as I seriously expect they will -- given enough time and with the right set of circumstances.

 

[standing_alone]

Somehow I think if Dr. Phil was really interested in helping people overcome their prejudices and hatred, he wouldn't have turned it into a television spectacle, but maybe that's just me.

 

[Katzpur]

Somehow I think if Dr. Phil was really interested in helping people overcome their prejudices and hatred, he wouldn't have turned it into a television spectacle, but maybe that's just me.

Really? How come? I mean obviously he makes a good living at what he's doing, but I don't see that as necessarily implying that he doesn't also have a sincere interest in helping these people -- and to showing a pretty good sized television audience how totally stupid and destructive irrational hatred really is.

 

[Booko]

Somehow I think if Dr. Phil was really interested in helping people overcome their prejudices and hatred, he wouldn't have turned it into a television spectacle, but maybe that's just me.

I've known a couple of people who saw someone like themselves on Dr. Phil, and decided to go seek professional help.

I'm not sanguine about the spectacle part of it either, and I hope they do some heavy follow up with these people. I have a more than a little problem with using people like lab rats, even if they have consented.

 

[Sunstone]

Somehow I think if Dr. Phil was really interested in helping people overcome their prejudices and hatred, he wouldn't have turned it into a television spectacle, but maybe that's just me.

That's just you. You've got good taste. Always a handicap in understanding popular culture.

 

[standing_alone]

Really? How come?

Because, though he may have good intentions, for such a show to be appealing to a large audience, the prejudice or hatred these people have will have to be played up for entertainment purposes and, therefore, turns tension between two people into entertainment. I think it would be more beneficial for individuals wishing to overcome their prejudices and hatred to do so in "private" (as in, not on national television), through support group-type structure, where their feelings are not exploited or played up for entertainment purposes.

I mean obviously he makes a good living at what he's doing, but I don't see that as necessarily implying that he doesn't also have a sincere interest in helping these people

I'm not saying that Dr. Phil doesn't necessarily have a sincere interest in helping people, but I question that the method he is using in this instance is the most beneficial approach for the individuals actually trying to overcome their prejudices and hatred. But then again, I'm not a professional psychologist/psychiatrist.

and to showing a pretty good sized television audience how totally stupid and destructive irrational hatred really is.

Unfortunately, I think the first reason people will turn on this show is to be entertained by the tension between the individuals and may turn off the television at the end of the show without learning anything about the destructiveness of prejudice and hatred. Also, I don't see why two individuals trying to overcome their prejudice and hatred need to be put on a television show to prove this. I would think this point could be proven without purposely putting people into such situations in a sort of reality show. However, since the individuals obviously must consent to being on the show, I guess I really shouldn't complain too much.

 

[Booko]

Unfortunately, I think the first reason people will turn on this show is to be entertained by the tension between the individuals and may turn off the television at the end of the show without learning anything about the destructiveness of prejudice and hatred.

There's also the self-congratulatory aspect, that some people turn into such spectacles to congratulate themselves, "Wow! These people are so much more messed up than me!"

 

[Scuba Pete]

Dr Phil has always struck me as being in love with himself. I simply have a hard time enduring his condescension towards his patients.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Dr Phil has always struck me as being in love with himself. I simply have a hard time enduring his condescension towards his patients.

I heard someone put it this way, and it struck me as an interesting phrasing. "Doesn't he get tired of being right all the time?"