Many people know I have a love/hate relationship with Dr. Laura - 20% love, 80% hate. So when she announced she would go off the air as of 2011, my first thought was, "Good riddance!" and my second was, "What am I going to listen to while I'm driving?"
On the pro side, I think she is often sensible and has a straight-talk way about her that some idiots seem to need to figure out their miserable lives. On the con side, I think she is rude, condescending, annoying, hypocritical, screechy and seems more inclined to reiterate her point of the day than to actually listen to the caller's question. She has an uncanny way of asking her own questions that don't have anything to do with the person's problem, and spinning it in such a way that she can make a point that she is obsessed with making. She interrupts people without apology but reams you up and down if you interrupt her. Oh, and she loves to harass women for being too bossy and demanding towards their hardworking husbands, but somehow I just cannot see her as being a sweet compliant 50's housewife herself. More like a whip-wielding dominatrix. And a million other loathsome qualities.
But like thousands of others I had a conundrum and thought, "What the hey - I'll call her up and see what she thinks." I asked her how to help my husband make better food choices so he would live long and prosper. And she's a bit of a fat-ist, so I knew she'd have an opinion. Assuming that I had married a child with no abilities or will of his own she gave me the useless answer to, "just feed him healthy food." Of course she wouldn't afford me the opportunity to explain that her answer was unhelpful because my husband was actually a big boy who could go to the grocery store all by himself and had the free will to choose not to eat the healthy vegetables I served. She hangs up on people who veer away from the point she wants to make so the listeners don't get confused by relevant facts.
Just to torture myself, I called her another time when I was concerned that our little doggy wasn't getting as much attention from the kids as I thought she needed. I explained that we got the dog under the assumption that the kids would play with her all the time, but that oftentimes it felt like she wouldn't get the attention I expected the kids to give her (and being a mom of 4 at the time, I didn't feel like I could add doggy playtime to my to-do list). She told me I was a bad mother for getting a dog for little kids. I think she thought I expected them to take care of the vet appointments and training and walks. Again, she wasn't interested in understanding the situation, but did want to make a point that parents should not expect kids to be responsible for pets. (And in case you are a dog-lover who is worried about our pet, rest assured I take care of her needs, and under the threat of letting another family adopt her, the kids do better now too).
Again, thanks, Dr. Laura, for not listening and for giving me advice I cannot use.
Change that to 10% love, 90% hate. Still, if she called me up and invited me to brunch, I'd gratefully accept and be nothing but sweet and agreeable the whole time. What is wrong with me??
On the pro side, I think she is often sensible and has a straight-talk way about her that some idiots seem to need to figure out their miserable lives. On the con side, I think she is rude, condescending, annoying, hypocritical, screechy and seems more inclined to reiterate her point of the day than to actually listen to the caller's question. She has an uncanny way of asking her own questions that don't have anything to do with the person's problem, and spinning it in such a way that she can make a point that she is obsessed with making. She interrupts people without apology but reams you up and down if you interrupt her. Oh, and she loves to harass women for being too bossy and demanding towards their hardworking husbands, but somehow I just cannot see her as being a sweet compliant 50's housewife herself. More like a whip-wielding dominatrix. And a million other loathsome qualities.
But like thousands of others I had a conundrum and thought, "What the hey - I'll call her up and see what she thinks." I asked her how to help my husband make better food choices so he would live long and prosper. And she's a bit of a fat-ist, so I knew she'd have an opinion. Assuming that I had married a child with no abilities or will of his own she gave me the useless answer to, "just feed him healthy food." Of course she wouldn't afford me the opportunity to explain that her answer was unhelpful because my husband was actually a big boy who could go to the grocery store all by himself and had the free will to choose not to eat the healthy vegetables I served. She hangs up on people who veer away from the point she wants to make so the listeners don't get confused by relevant facts.
Just to torture myself, I called her another time when I was concerned that our little doggy wasn't getting as much attention from the kids as I thought she needed. I explained that we got the dog under the assumption that the kids would play with her all the time, but that oftentimes it felt like she wouldn't get the attention I expected the kids to give her (and being a mom of 4 at the time, I didn't feel like I could add doggy playtime to my to-do list). She told me I was a bad mother for getting a dog for little kids. I think she thought I expected them to take care of the vet appointments and training and walks. Again, she wasn't interested in understanding the situation, but did want to make a point that parents should not expect kids to be responsible for pets. (And in case you are a dog-lover who is worried about our pet, rest assured I take care of her needs, and under the threat of letting another family adopt her, the kids do better now too).
Again, thanks, Dr. Laura, for not listening and for giving me advice I cannot use.
Change that to 10% love, 90% hate. Still, if she called me up and invited me to brunch, I'd gratefully accept and be nothing but sweet and agreeable the whole time. What is wrong with me??
6 comments:
Are you serious? You seriously called this woman?
Twice...why? I still don't know.
:) Love your story! I can't believe you actually called her- My husband (in a fit of insanity) got me the book "the Proper Care And Feeding of Husbands" and I didn't exactly throw it at him but just in his general direction. Obviously Dr. Laura would be on his side.
I can't believe she gave you such lame answers to your very legitimate questions.... oh, wait.. yes I can. Sometimes, I think she's right on, but other times, she's in outer space.
I can't believe she gave you such lame answers to your very legitimate questions.... oh, wait.. yes I can. Sometimes, I think she's right on, but other times, she's in outer space.
I actually love Dr. Laura only because she is extremely entertaining, but would never call her and be subject to her making an idiot out of me. I think she tries to be entertaining more than she really tries to help. I also think she is in for the surprise factor more than listening to the caller and giving an honest answer. Goodbye Dr. Laura!!!
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