# Can Dr. Oz sink any lower? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 14, 2014, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433 "2014-05-14T12:33:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/121 "2014-05-15T16:13:23Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Down to “Everyone else is doing it!!”, are we? Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/122 "2014-05-15T16:19:01Z")
> [@flight](#): > > So, I can’t seem to find this anywhere. When did Stewart do Oil of Olay commercials? Want to see how low **Nzinga, Seated** will go? It’s from the last paragraph of a [People Magazine archived profile on John Stewart:](http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20128172,00.html) > [@](#): > > Stewart’s own heart belongs to his live-in fiancée, graphic-designer-turned-veterinary-student Tracy McShane, 31, who every few weeks trims his graying hair (“Distinguished is the look I’m going for; Alistair Cooke has nothing on me”) and turned him on to Sea Breeze astringent. “It burns a bit,” he confesses, “but that means it’s working, right? I don’t need that top layer of skin anyway.” After all, “inner beauty is the most important quality,” Stewart opines very, very seriously. “That’s why I drink a quart and a half of Oil of Olay each and every day.” Ba-da-boom. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/123 "2014-05-15T16:21:53Z")
Honest to god, I have no idea what that quote is. I pulled oil of Olay out of thin air. Referring to bullshit his show has commercials on. Hahaaa! You googled it looking for a commercial and thought you found me scrounging. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/124 "2014-05-15T16:22:46Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I don’t normally like to dox people, but clearly Nzinga is Gail King in real life. If that’s true, I guess we’re also joined by Stoidman Graham… ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/125 "2014-05-15T16:22:55Z")
Funniest part is, only you and one other poor thing thought I meant actual commercial while everyone else can see clearly what I meant, while disagreeing. ---
**Author:** ![Strassia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@Strassia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strassia)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/126 "2014-05-15T16:23:55Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I’ve seen the Oz show a few times and it was all basic, sensible discussions of diet and health issues. Not something that could hold my interest, but I do remember Oz mentioning a few times that some of “remedies” being bandied about didn’t have any science behind them > > So I read through this thread wondering what evil products Oz has been endorsing. Maybe I missed something, but it seems there aren’t any. If all he’s doing is giving woo-woo alternative theories airtime…and it’s not the basis of his medical philosophy…then so what? > > And the whole “Oprah is a cunt and should die” nonsense. Yeesh. Get a grip. Oz started out as a common sense health advocate. Seeing many patients who required surgery that could have been prevented by simple preventative steps was his initial motivation. But you can’t fill a lot of shows with “eat better and be more active”. And he seems to be predisposed to accepting unproven treatments. Even in his practice, he will have Reiki (energy healing) practitioners in the ER with him while doing heart surgery. If you want a good discussion what Dr. Oz does and what he advises, try this long but interesting piece from the[New Yorker](http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/02/04/130204fa_fact_specter?currentPage=all). TLDR key point: > [@](#): > > Oz often says that he is just trying to present people with all their options, because they are sophisticated enough to make decisions for themselves. But some options are more beneficial than others, and medical experts are morally bound to explain the difference, as David Gorski told me recently. Gorski, an associate professor of surgery at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, is the managing editor of the influential blog Science-Based Medicine. “Oz has a huge bully pulpit, with the entire Oprah empire behind him,” he said. “He can’t simply dispense with facts he doesn’t find convenient.” Scientists often argue that, if alternative medicine proves effective through experimental research, it should no longer be considered alternative; at that point, it becomes medicine. **By freely mixing alternatives with proven therapies, Oz makes it nearly impossible for the viewer of his show to assess the impact of either; the process just diminishes the value of science.** (bolding mine) ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/127 "2014-05-15T16:24:33Z")
I’m still laughing at “favorite celebrities” when I think Jon Stewart is a smarmy asshole. When you show me an example of him peddling The Secret, I’ll be all over him like a rash and will enjoy the hell out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/128 "2014-05-15T16:24:46Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Honest to god, I have no idea what that quote is. I pulled oil of Olay out of thin air. Referring to bullshit his show has commercials on. Hahaaa! You googled it looking for a commercial and thought you found me scrounging. So your defense is that you are making shit up out of thin air? edited to add: This “HA-HA!! I fooled you into thinking I am saying something of value!” strategy? _Brilliant!_ ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/129 "2014-05-15T16:31:50Z")
Do you comprehend me Czarcasm, or are you pretending? I am making the point that his show shows commercials for bullshit products. I don’t need a specific brand to make that point, I just pulled anything. Geez, don’t be this thick in front of me. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/130 "2014-05-15T16:36:52Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Do you comprehend me Czarcasm, or are you pretending? I am making the point that his show shows commercials for bullshit products. I don’t need a specific brand to make that point, I just pulled anything. Geez, don’t be this thick in front of me. Do you understand the difference between a commercial placed by the network or a local station, and a product talked about on _The Daily Show_? The former he has next to no control over, the latter he does. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/131 "2014-05-15T16:40:38Z")
Ok. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/132 "2014-05-15T16:46:28Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Ok. So do you have any evidence that Jon Stewart pushed questionable products or theories, or allowed guests to push questionable products or theories unrestricted, on _The Daily Show_? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/133 "2014-05-15T16:47:47Z")
This thread has gotten weird and stupid. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/134 "2014-05-15T16:48:46Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Funniest part is, only you and one other poor thing thought I meant actual commercial while everyone else can see clearly what I meant, while disagreeing. I buy advertising for many clients and I can promise you that Jon Stewart has no fucking idea whether or not the cable system I’m buying is running one of our spots. If I want network or station talent to actually endorse my product, it’s a whole process where we pay them a hefty fee and they have to try and approve of what they’re shilling (or pretend to). Your whole argument is dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/135 "2014-05-15T16:49:25Z")
I know you really, really like JS. I picked him for a reason. But I have made my point. His show sponsors bullshit and you don’t say boo because it’s not cool to criticize him. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/136 "2014-05-15T16:51:00Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Honest to god, I have no idea what that quote is. I pulled oil of Olay out of thin air. Referring to bullshit his show has commercials on. Hahaaa! You googled it looking for a commercial and thought you found me scrounging. So, when you were reaching for straws, you were actually pulling them out of your ass? > [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Do you comprehend me Czarcasm, or are you pretending? I am making the point that his show shows commercials for bullshit products. I don’t need a specific brand to make that point, I just pulled anything. Geez, don’t be this thick in front of me. So, to paraphrase, commercials are a thing on TV and Jon Stewart is also on TV, and so in conclusion . . . . . . things . . . on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/137 "2014-05-15T16:52:35Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > I know you really, really like JS. I picked him for a reason. But I have made my point. His show sponsors bullshit and you don’t say boo because it’s not cool to criticize him. Wow. > [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Ok. That sure didn’t last very long now, did it? ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/138 "2014-05-15T16:53:42Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > I don’t hold with the idea of punishment, suffering, revenge and all similar notions to begin with, so we’ll never find common ground on that part of it no matter what. So that’s why you tried to ruin your ex with years of baseless, vexatious lawsuits. You have proved, again, that you’re an outright liar. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/139 "2014-05-15T17:00:16Z")
So funny to see people pretending their hero doesn’t benefit from his huckster sponsors. ---
**Author:** ![Astral\_Rejection](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Astral\_Rejection](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astral_Rejection)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433/140 "2014-05-15T17:01:52Z")
I am incredibly confused by the parallels being drawn by Nzinga. On the one hand, we have a doctor directly telling his audience that a particular piece of woo with no clinical trials is more worthwhile than peer-reviewed conventional treatments. This doctor is a REAL DOCTOR, and his words presumably represent facts or at least a strong recommendation in the minds of his audience. On the other, we have a comedic talk show host on a comedy channel, and that channel happens to broadcast advertisements during that show, possibly for things like skin cream. Nzinga, you **truly** see no difference between these two things? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dr-oz-sink-any-lower/688433.md?page=8)