A deeply upsetting “teaser” (tee hee?) for an interview with Dr. Phil and actress Shelley Duvall has been making the rounds this week, and many are calling for a boycott of the show, seeing the event as wholly exploitive and demeaning.
The teaser features Duvall explaining to Dr. Phil that she’s “very sick” and “needs help.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” crows Dr. Phil, casually demonstrating empathy is a dream.
Of course, not everyone believes mental illness can be cured by an opportunistic gasbag trotting out human vulnerability before an audience of millions like a cash-hungry carnival barker from hell.
How about we take this to the next level?
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As Page Six reports, Stanley Kubrick’s daughter Vivian Kubrick penned a letter to Dr. Phil on Twitter, a few days after snippets of his the interview popped up online:
You are putting Shelley Duvall ‘on show’ while she is suffering from a pitiable state of ill health. Unquestionably, this is purely a form of lurid and exploitive entertainment — it’s appallingly cruel.
Shelley Duvall was a movie star … whatever dignity a mere unfortunate creature might have in this world, is denied by your displaying her in this way.
I recoil in complete disgust. I hope others will join me in boycotting your utterly heartless form of entertainment, because it has nothing to do with compassionate healing.
Sincerely disgusted, Vivian
This sentiment is echoed in a raft of Twitter responses from fellow fans:
1/2 Absolutely disgusted with the exploitative nature of @DrPhil‘s interview with Shelley Duvall. This is unconscionable.
— Jordan Gavaris (@JordanGavaris) November 17, 2016
2/2 Where are the producer’s ethics? Where is @CBS‘ leadership? Have we sunk this low for ratings? This episode of @DrPhil should be pulled.
— Jordan Gavaris (@JordanGavaris) November 17, 2016
Dr. Phil is an opportunistic pig who cares more about ratings than helping people.https://t.co/XmLeUyfYGp
— Bria? (@netqueer) November 17, 2016
Shame on @DrPhil for exploiting Shelley Duvall. Someone’s mental health issues are NOT entertainment.
— x (@Rec_lock9) November 17, 2016
Kieran
Down on their luck Americans are heartlessly exploited by the media everyday on American TV. Now Hollywood is suddenly upset? They’re only upset because Shelley “was a movie star”, which I suppose makes her “special”. If she were just an average American housewife from the heartland they wouldn’t give 2
sh!ts about her being exploited.
woodroad34
Maybe she needs the money for healthcare….not all “movie stars” end up well-off; or maybe she wants to be an advocate for illness and is letting people see what the effects and treatments are.
ingyaom
Is she lez?
oz1967
First Nicholas Brendon (Xander, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) was exploited at his lowest point and now this vile grab for ratings. It was bad enough Stanley Kubrick started the job, “Dr” Phil is now finishing the mind F@%K.
Billy Budd
Shelley Duvall was mentally destroyed by Kubrick during the filming of The Shining. She never recovered.
seaguy
Some may feel that Dr. Phil is “exploiting” her but she is going to get sent to a privately run mental facility likely as opposed to a state run mental hospital. And she has been mentally ill for at least 7 yrs with no help thus far so at least Dr. Phil is actually getting her the help she needs.
Mo Bro
My kingdom for a Queerty proofreader.
Or even a spell-checker.
The word is “exploitative,” not “exploitive.”