Everything about Phil Mcgraw totally explained
Phillip Calvin McGraw (born
September 1,
1950), best known as
Dr. Phil, is an
American television personality,
psychologist and
author who is the host of the
psychology themed
television show
Dr. Phil. He gained celebrity status following appearances on
The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Early life
McGraw was born in
Vinita, Oklahoma, the son of Jerry (
née Stevens) and Joe McGraw. in the oilfields of
North Texas, where his father was an equipment supplier. During McGraw's childhood, his family moved so his father could pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a
psychologist. McGraw attended
Shawnee Mission North High School in
Mission, Kansas. In 1968, he was awarded a football scholarship to the
University of Tulsa, where he played middle linebacker under Coach Glenn Dobbs (father of Gary Dobbs, who later went into business with McGraw). On November 23rd of that year McGraw's team lost to the University of Houston 100-6, which is still one of the most lopsided games in college football history. Coach Dobbs retired after that season, and McGraw transferred to
Midwestern State University in
Wichita Falls, Texas, where he graduated in 1975 with a
Bachelor of Arts degree in
psychology. He went on to earn a
Master's degree in
experimental psychology in 1976, and a
Ph.D in
clinical psychology in 1979 at the
University of North Texas, where his
dissertation was titled "
Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Psychological Intervention." He also participated in the swimming programs at the two schools.
Career
McGraw owned a construction business with his brother-in-law while completing his internship for his Ph.D.
After graduation, Phillip McGraw joined his father, Dr. Joe McGraw, in Wichita Falls, Texas, where the elder McGraw had established his private psychology practice.
In 1983, McGraw and his father joined Thelma Box, a successful Texas business woman, in presenting "Pathways" (later called "Choices"), a seminar to "assist people in living their lives with clarity and passion." Critics claim that many of the "phrases and the terminology and the quaint sayings" used by McGraw on the
Oprah and
Dr. Phil shows were originated by Box and presented by McGraw in this seminar. McGraw admits that the material from
Life Strategies, his first best seller, is taken directly from the Pathways seminar. However, he's never mentioned Thelma Box or her contributions to his success in any of his books or TV shows.
In 1989, McGraw was sanctioned by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists for an ethical violation involving a 19-year-old patient and employee (see "Criticisms & controversies: Sanctioned for unethical behavior", below). Due to the sanctions, McGraw was unable to practice psychology independently. Their first couple of years in business were not financially successful. On
October 15,
1991, McGraw signed an agreement for the sale of his Pathways seminar stock for $325,000 without notifying either his father or Thelma Box of the impending sale. "There was a feeling of betrayal because Phil had compromised the integrity of the program. In effect, he helped rip off Thelma [Box] and her asset value in the corporation by selling behind her back." and launched his own
syndicated daily television show,
Dr. Phil, produced by Winfrey's
Harpo Studios. The format is an advice show, where he tackles a different topic on each show, offering advice for his guests' troubles.
McGraw shifted focus in 2003–4 to emphasize weight loss shows, books and products. His sisters Deana and Brenda and nephew Tony were among the featured testimonials on the
Dr. Phil show. Within a few years, a
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) probe and class-action lawsuit forced him to exit the weight loss business (see "Criticisms & controversies: Weight loss products", below).
In 2005, McGraw published another best-selling book,
Family First, along with a workbook. He also signed a five-year extension of his syndication deal with his show's distributors, King World Productions, Inc. The deal will pay McGraw $15 million a year and keep the show in production through the 2013–2014 television season.
After son Jay's television show
Renovate My Family (a clone of ABC's ) was canceled at the start of its second season in 2005, following a renovated family lawsuit, McGraw and his son formed Stage 29 Productions. A week later, they announced a new show called
Moochers (a clone of ABC's
Kicked Out), and McGraw released his last book,
Love Smart. However, the show was canceled before any episodes aired, and the book failed to achieve the success of his previous bestsellers.
In 2006, the
Dr. Phil House (a clone of CBS's
Big Brother) began airing as part of the
Dr. Phil television show. Following a protest by neighbors, the house in Los Angeles was shut down, and production resumed on a sound stage in a studio back lot. McGraw reached the number 22 spot on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, with income of $45 milion.
Another Stage 29 show,
Decision House (a remix of the
Dr. Phil House) aired from September through November, 2007 but was canceled due to poor reviews and dismal ratings. Ratings for the
Dr. Phil show in 2007 began to slide. In May, viewership was close to 7 million people. However, by year's end, viewership was about 5.5 million people (#10 for syndicated TV shows, and just under
Everybody Loves Raymond,
Family Guy and ). McGraw's income fell by 1/3 to $30 million, and he dropped to the number 30 spot on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. The show will be hosted by television personality and ER physician Dr.
Travis Stork (
The Bachelor). Other experts include various personalities who have appeared on the
Dr. Phil show over the years. They are Dr. Lisa Masterson, an obstetrician/gynecologist; Dr. Andrew Ordon, a plastic surgeon; Dr. Tara Fields, a licensed marriage and family therapist; and Dr. Jim Sears, a pediatrician. These doctors will make appearances on the
Dr. Phil show throughout the 2007–08 season so that McGraw can instruct them on "how to give articulate medical advice while being scrutinized by a studio audience in Los Angeles."
Jay McGraw (Dr. Phil's older son) will be executive producer of the new show.c
In January, 2008, McGraw visited celebrity
Britney Spears in her hospital room. The visit and subsequent press release by McGraw drew criticism from the Spears family and from mental health professionals (see "Criticisms & controversies: Britney Spears intervention", below).
On April 13, 2008, Dr. Phil was embroiled in controversy again when a producer for his show secured $30,000 bail for the ringleader of a group of eight teenage girls who viciously beat another girl and then videotaped the attack. She had been booked at the Polk County (Florida) Jail on charges that included kidnapping and assault. Producers of the show made plans to tape a one-hour show devoted to the incident and sent a production assistant to Orlando to help book guests for the show. However, when news broke that Dr. Phil posted bail for her, the outcry caused the show to cancel their plans. "In this case certain staffers went beyond our guidelines," said Theresa Corigliano, spokesperson for the Dr. Phil show. "We have decided not to go forward with the story as our guidelines have been compromised."
Criticisms & controversies
Sanctioned for unethical behavior (1989)
The Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists imposed disciplinary sanctions on McGraw on January 27, 1989 for an inappropriate "dual relationship" reported in 1988 by a therapy client/employee from 1984. McGraw was ordered by the Board to take an ethics class, pass a jurisprudence exam, complete a physical evaluation, undergo a psychological evaluation and have his practice supervised for one year in order to continue his private practice in Texas. McGraw admits to giving the client a "job" at his office (which isn't allowed), but denied carrying on a sexual relationship with the 19-year-old, who says their relationship was "sexually inappropriate." As of 2008, McGraw hasn't completed the conditions imposed by the Board of Examiners of Psychologists, and he isn't licensed to practice psychology in Texas, California, or anywhere else.
Weight loss products (2003)
In 2003, McGraw entered the weight-loss business, selling shakes, energy bars, and supplements. These products' labels, which carried the brand name "Shape Up", stated: "These products contain scientifically researched levels of ingredients that can help you change your behavior to take control of your weight." This met with swift criticism from various sources,
McGraw settled the suit in September 2006 for $10.5 million.
Some of the settlement ($6 million) may be paid to the plaintiffs in the form of
Amway (
Quixtar) brand
Nutrilite vitamins.
Unauthorized biography (2003)
The Making of Dr. Phil is a biography by Sophia Dembling, a reporter from the
Dallas Morning News, and Lisa Gutierrez, a reporter from
The Kansas City Star. The book probed McGraw's history, with interviews of his childhood friends and former classmates. The book reported that McGraw used unethical business practices in a gym business early in his career, that he was abusive to his first wife, and was also abusive to his staff, while noting that he overcame adversity through setting goals and was persistent in achieving success. The book received no promotional help from McGraw or his associates.
Kalpoe lawsuit (2006)
McGraw was named a co-defendant, along with
CBS Television, in a
2006 lawsuit filed in relation to the disappearance of
Natalee Holloway. The lawsuit was filed by
Deepak Kalpoe and his brother
Satish Kalpoe, who claimed that an interview they did with McGraw, aired in
September of
2005, was "manipulated and later broadcast as being accurate, and which portrays Deepak Kalpoe and Satish Kalpoe 'as engaging in criminal activity against Natalee Holloway and constitutes defamation.'"
Britney Spears "intervention" (2008)
McGraw attracted criticism for his unannounced visit to celebrity
Britney Spears' hospital room in January 2008. The visit appeared to be part of an attempt at getting Spears and her parents to take part in an "intervention" on the Dr. Phil television show. Immediately after the visit, McGraw issued public statements about Spears' situation that Spears' family spokeswoman Lou Taylor said violated their family trust in McGraw. "This is another example of a trust being betrayed," Taylor told
Today co-host Meredith Vieira. "Rather than helping the family’s situation, the celebrity psychologist caused additional damage", she said. Several mental health care professionals criticized McGraw for his actions; however, fellow TV psychologist Dr.
Joyce Brothers defended McGraw. One professional psychologist filed a complaint with the California Board of Psychology alleging that Dr. Phil practiced clinical psychology without a license and violated doctor-patient privilege by discussing Spears' case with the media. He also started a petition to have the
Dr. Phil show removed from the air.
Approach to psychology
His technique, which differs considerably from traditional psychology, has been criticized by those inside and outside the profession. McGraw's critics regard advice given by him to be at best simplistic, and at worst, invective.
McGraw has said he never liked traditional counseling and was awkward in one-on-one situations. In
Psychology Today journalist
Pamela Paul writes that McGraw "knows what's best and he's not afraid to tell you. Dr. Phil issues counsel as marching orders." McGraw himself admits that "I'm not the Hush-Puppies, pipe and `Let's talk about your mother' kind of psychologist."
Personal life
McGraw's first marriage and subsequent divorce wasn't publicized until a 2002 Newsweek cover story.
McGraw had multiple affairs with other women. McCall stated, "When I confronted him about his infidelities he didn't deny these girls and told me that it had nothing to do with his feelings toward me, to grow up, that's the way it was in the world." The relationship ended when she left him in 1973.
Since 2001, the McGraw family has lived in
Beverly Hills, California in a home valued at over $10 million.
Jay McGraw has partially followed in his father's footsteps, publishing books aimed at teenagers based on McGraw's books and working for his father's production company, Stage 29. Three months after Dr. Phil was scammed on his "Bad Influences" show by the infamous twin porn stars, Crystal and Jocelyn Potter, Jay McGraw became engaged to Erica Dahm, one of the famous Playboy Playmate triplets. Dr. Phil, who has been an outspoken critic of pornography, was Best Man at the wedding, which was held at his home in Beverly Hills.
Jordan is currently a sophomore at the University of Southern California and is pursuing his interests in music.
McGraw in popular culture
In
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody episode "Ask Zack," when Darlene takes Shirley's (a.k.a. Zack) advice to date Zack, she tells him that she can open up to him, to which Zack responds, "just think of me as Dr. Phil with hair". Dr. Phyllis, an obvious parody of McGraw, is mocked when Drake and Josh in
Drake & Josh go to Dr. Phyllis to patch their relationship after a big fight. The parody was also used in a Brandy and Mr. Whiskers episode. A
Muppet character called
Dr. Feel appears on
Sesame Street.
McGraw appeared in the opening scene of
Scary Movie 4, spoofing the horror film
Saw. He also starred in an episode of
Frasier "
The Devil and Dr. Phil" where he was an old friend of
Frasier Crane's. He is also featured in a halloween episode of the
The Simpsons in season 18.
The show was spoofed during a scene where R.J. and the forest friends flip channels on the HDTV set in the film
Over the Hedge. McGraw is parodied in the video game on its as the host of a show called "Heartland Values with Nurse Bob."
McGraw has stated that his favorite Dr. Phil joke was told by David Letterman: "He was introducing some new books coming out, and he held up one by Dr. Phil with the title
More Advice I Pulled Out of My Ass (seen here). I thought, That's pretty funny. I liked that."
Bibliography
Filmography
Scary Movie 4 (2006)
Treehouse of Horror XVII an episode of The Simpsons (2006)Further Information
Get more info on 'Phil Mcgraw'.
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