Britney's folk not happy with Dr. Phil blabbing to media

Last week Dr. Phil, TV's answer to Jerry Springer, made a "house call" to visit Britney Spears when she was hospitalized for - well - freaking out. Of course being that anything related to Britney makes headlines and rather than receive praise for his effort, Dr. Phil has actually been villified by many as using the situation for his own purposes. For his part Phil didn't disclose any details of his one hour "talk" with Britney because he said that would be unprofessional.

O-kaaaaay...

However, he did make an overture extending an invitation to appear on his show and when that didn't work out he moved on to her parents, who also refused. Now the Spears family is mad.

"Britney Spears' family says "Dr. Phil" McGraw crossed the line by not keeping his mouth shut after making a house call on the singer last week. Lou Taylor, a business manager for Spears' mother, Lynne, and younger sister, Jamie Lynn, appeared on NBC's "Today" show Wednesday and said McGraw had betrayed the family's trust by talking to the media about Spears' mental health after showing up at the 26-year-old pop star's hospital room on Saturday for a visit.

"The family basically extended an invitation of trust for him to come in as a resource to support them, not to go out and make public statements," Taylor said. "Any statement publicly that he made, because he was brought in under this cloak of trust, (is) just inappropriate." Taylor said McGraw was invited to the hospital by Spears' family, but "he was not invited to make this part of a public display or part of the media."

This is really a somewhat surprising and amusing reaction coming from the family of a celebrity that will go to any length to attract the attention of paps.

"McGraw said earlier this week that he was shelving plans for a show on Spears' latest breakdown. He said Spears' predicament was "too intense" for him to go on with the show. Taylor said the syndicated TV psychologist broached the idea of the show to Spears' handlers, who eventually decided that such a show would be "detrimental" to the family.

Actually, there was no reason for Dr. Phil to comment on their meeting, period, or provide any background information. His blabbing to the media makes him out as an opportunist and somewhat wanting as a medical professional. Dr. Phil is/was a psychologist before he became...Dr. Phil, superstar.

"Mental health professionals also criticized McGraw this week, saying he went too far by showing up at Spears' room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles as she was about to be discharged. McGraw fired back at his critics in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight" on Monday. "Somebody needs to step up and get this young woman into some quality care -- and I do not apologize one whit, not one second, for trying to make that happen," he said."

Oh well... Sometimes being a TV doctor-come-savior ain't easy.

DR. PHIL - PHYSICIAN HEAL THYSELF

I dunno... There was a time when Dr. Phil McGraw was first introduced to TV audiences as a guest on Oprah, he was a quiet, down-to-earth psychologist with a gift for gab. For what ever reason and probably his cute-sy, down-home personna/charm and southern drawl, he got his own TV show. However, as time went on and his popularity grew, there was a distinct change in his personna and his ego. It grew. A lot.

For the last couple of seasons he has turned into a pseudo Jerry Springer, encouraging people to cry and reveal all their deep, dark family secrets for everyone to see.

What happened to medical ethics?

He had already touched upon Britney Spears's problems in an earlier show, diagnosing and assessing her from afar. So it's not surprising that he showed up when Britney was hospitalized on the weekend. According to various sources he was asked to intervene by her parents (yes there is a daddy Spears!). He was reported to have talked with her for an hour and there was even a rumor that she could be a guest on his show.

Not.

Once that didn't work out, he turned his attention to the Spear parents. The latest word by the good doctor himself, is that the Spears family show idea has been cancelled because the situation is "too intense." To say the least but then it was "intense" before he tried to book a family member.

Although Dr. Phil's show has lots of viewers and good ratings, having any member of the Spears family on his show would have caused his numbers to go through the roof. Oh well... Just goes to show that even TV docs can't do miracles.

Meanwhile, after demanding to be released from hospital, there have been reports of Britney out and about with the new (and married) paparazzi friend, Adnan. Guess a girl hast'a do what a girl hast'a do.