# Dr. Phil accused of defrauding TBN...and all I have are Tears Of Joy
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [August 20, 2025, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301 "2025-08-20T01:14:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/1 "2025-08-20T01:14:51Z")
[Dr. Phil accused of massive fraud scheme by world’s largest Christian TV network - Raw Story](https://www.rawstory.com/dr-phil-2673902311/)
It looks like “Dr. Phil” promised them the moon, and all they got was moondust.
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### Author:  [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/2 "2025-08-20T01:16:39Z")
Dr. Phil, fraud… Say it ain’t so, Joe!
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/3 "2025-08-20T01:18:31Z")
I can’t gin up enough emotion to even care.
I always thought he was a creep.
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/4 "2025-08-20T01:47:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> It looks like “Dr. Phil” promised them the moon, and all they got was moondust.
?? Do they even understand what a fantastic curative moondust is!?
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/5 "2025-08-20T02:41:40Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> I always thought he was a creep.
I always found it surreal that people seek advice from this _quack_ who sounds like Bill Clinton.
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/6 "2025-08-20T02:43:06Z")
I parsed that headline as:
_A big ass fraud was accused of defrauding another big ass fraud_
Prove my interpretation incorrect.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/7 "2025-08-20T02:45:08Z")
Is there some way we can arrange to have both sides in this fight lose?
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/8 "2025-08-20T02:45:58Z")
I’m southern. I don’t judge people by their accents. Any people.
It’s their actions. And then I think about it, if I just have to judge.
When Dr.Phil came off as a real (medical)doctor and he was not, I’m pretty sure that’s when I decided he was a phony.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/9 "2025-08-20T02:48:26Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> I’m southern. I don’t judge people by their accents. Any people.
I picked up a Cajun accent while living around New Orleans. It’s not just the accent, it’s the combination with quackery.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/10 "2025-08-20T02:50:49Z")
If you say so.
Cajun is quite different than a regular southern accent. Either way you can’t lump everyone with these accents into one bucket.
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/11 "2025-08-20T02:57:25Z")
He was a practicing psychologist at one time, although I understand he’s no longer licensed in any U.S. state.
As for TBN, whenever I hear about it, I think about the pastor in my old town who self-published the story of his own faith journey. He talked about when he was in college and would watch TBN while high, and sometimes while not high, and thought, “I was raised in the church, and I have never known people this weird.”
I STILL can’t believe Mike Rowe has (had?) a show on there. His “Dirty Jobs” episodes were edited to remove non-TBN friendly content, and designed to be positive and uplifting, something I don’t have a problem with because we do need more of that.
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### Author:  [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/12 "2025-08-20T03:29:23Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Is there some way we can arrange to have both sides in this fight lose?
I’m rooting for injuries.
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### Author:  [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/13 "2025-08-20T04:19:40Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> Either way you can’t lump everyone with these accents into one bucket.
Not until you fix the hole in it at least.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAfCQ-t7xY0)
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/14 "2025-08-20T04:28:45Z")
I meant, I said Medical doctor.
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### Author:  [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/15 "2025-08-20T05:43:59Z")
Scammers scamming scammers is not something I’ll lose any sleep over.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/16 "2025-08-20T06:59:43Z")
I mostly noticed that Dr. Phil was an asshole for the cameras, and seemed to fail the whole “rapport” part of psychological help. Like, his goal was to make the people feel bad, not to try and help them. Because that was better for ratings.
I also remember TBN, as I watched it growing up. It sounds far from the channel I remember. I remember being astounded when they actually showed Tyler Perry on there, because it seemed so out of character.
There was this guy named Paul who wanted to have a TV station that preached the gospel to everyone. They would have musical fundraisers (with gospel singing) and a few Christian-leaning programs, along with some Christian kids shows. And then stuff from (admittedly dubious at best) preachers.
I guess in hindsight, that last part shows they were in it for the money. But they at least maintained the pretense.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/17 "2025-08-20T07:00:24Z")
How I feel whenever UCLA plays Notre Dame
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/18 "2025-08-20T07:28:34Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> Either way you can’t lump everyone with these accents into one bucket.
‘Tis true … judging or mocking people for their accents is all kinds of wrong.
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/19 "2025-08-20T17:17:21Z")
Of course he’s a scammer. His job used to be courtroom manipulation as a “trial consultant”. He knows how to play people. That’s his talent, and he leveraged it into a TV career where he could manipulate audiences.
Psychologists are usually portrayed as helping people, healing them mentally and letting them cope with trauma. But McGraw has always used psychology as a weapon.
[Bull stars on stories of Dr Phil’s career as a trial consultant: ‘You will be shocked’](https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/89183386/bull-stars-on-stories-of-dr-phils-career-as-a-trial-consultant-you-will-be-shocked)
The TV show _Bull_ (appropriate name) was based on McGraw’s real life. That’s what he did. The man is a snake. I guess it’s good his victims actually deserved it this time.
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-phil-accused-of-defrauding-tbn-and-all-i-have-are-tears-of-joy/1022301/20 "2025-08-20T17:28:59Z")
> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> The TV show _Bull_ (appropriate name) was based on McGraw’s real life. That’s what he did. The man is a snake.
Holup.
Is the man a bull, or is he a snake?
(I suppose he could be a bullsnake.)
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