Performative sadisim: Cruelty in the closet doesn't count. It's just no fun. By Hal M. Brown, MSW
This is a sequel to yesterday's Substact:
Trump and MAGA cohorts don't lack empathy. As sadists, they have perverse empathy.
I wrote this in part as a reaction to the following:
'Cruel': Ex-GOP lawmaker slams Trump's border czar for Dr. Phil stunt: RawStory
Needless to say, Phil McGraw is an embarrasment to me and any self-respecting member of the mental health profession. Here's an example of his empathetic interview technique:
He was filmed taking to a Thai national detained in Chicago by authorities over an alleged history of sex crime charges.
"Have you been deported before?" McGraw asked him. "What have you been charged with? Are you a citizen?" The detainee, in handcuffs, said he wanted to speak to his lawyer.
This is how Adam Parkhomenko and Sam Youngma put it on their Substack in Dr. Phil did what?
Oh what the effing fuck? How gross is this damn country?! It’s like we hit rock bottom of scuminess and then someone remembered to add a reality TV component. Were the Kardashians not available? Is Dr. Oz too busy sucking somewhere else? At what point do we disown Oprah for introducing us to these assholes? And how is it possible that we fucking miss Omarosa already?
I didn't know that a requirement to be a psychotherapist was to enjoy making frightened people uncomfortable, let alone ask to have their lawyer present.
The sadistic Stephen Miller, who has yet to make a guest appearance at a deportation festival, and Tom Homan, are both happy thugs delighted by the power they have been given, so I suppose there's another criterion to apply to their job description.
Dr. Phil holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, albeit from North Texas State University (rated 220 in national universities). He ceased renewing his license to practice psychology in 2006. I would hope that by now his license would have been revoked. A deportation performance like his would merit a review by any licensed mental health professional licensing board.
This is how Robert Hubbell put it in his Substack today:
As is often said of the Trump administration, “The cruelty is the point.” Dr. Phil has elevated that rubric to the next level, “The cruelty is entertainment.”
Hubbell went on:
Oprah created Dr. Phil’s celebrity. Her voice is needed to condemn his actions as a PR agent for Trump's deportations. Per the Chicago Sun-Times, “Dr. Phil’s TV channel, MeritTV, was given special access to the operation on Sunday.”
I saw this photo posted in a comment on the RawStory article.
I couldn't believe it was real so I checked it out. Bizarre doesn't begin to describe a therapist with a gun obsession. Some shrinks publish in journals - he made House Beautiful.
Obviously, all this is a cruel and sadistic performance meant to be shared in the media.
Trump and his sadist cohorts and followers get a rush out of this. You can bet this is must see TV for Trump, Miller, and the members of his cult. Is it sick? See below:
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For those who want to delve more deeply into what is so very wrong with people like this, I suggest reading the Wikipedia entry about sadistic personality here. You can look at the traits and characteristics and consider which of them apply to Trump and his henchmen, and to those who enjoy watching the deportations.
I post my Substacks (formerly blogs) on several platforms. They are on Substack where, if you want to submit your email, you can be notified of all new blog posts. They are on HalBrown.org. They are also on Stressline.org I also post them on Medium because this enables them to be easily found on internet searches.