On his “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” program on HBO, the host tore into Dr. Oz, his Senate testimony last week, and the regulation (or lack thereof) of nutritional supplements. The segment discusses Senators Harken and Hatch and their roles in the latter. It includes classic Oz clips, like talking with Cameron Diaz about what your poop should look like. And, at the very end, don’t miss actor Steve Buscemi tap dancing and the marching band. All with a message for Oz about engaging the audience.
One of my favorite parts:
“Oliver: He says he wasn’t paid to mention any particular products so why say those things on TV at all?”
(clip of Oz in Senate testimony:) “To engage viewers I use flowery language. I used language that was very passionate.”
Oliver: “That make sense because we’re all looking for flowery language from our physicians…. ‘Like the sunlight shines upon the hidden grassy meadow so does chlamydia cast a warm glow up on your private parts.’ “
I often thought that John Stewart and Steven Colbert sometimes produced some of the best health care news criticism. Now their ex-colleague Oliver joins that list.
Addendum on June 24:
Kat Whitfield responded to one of Dr. Oz’s Senate testimony statements with a visual fact-checker, below:
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Monday at #ADA2021, an infectious disease epidemiologist, a journalist, and a researcher shared perspectives on communication of risk in the era of COVID-19: http://ow.ly/ROfR30rMeE7 @AstleyCM @garyschwitzer @berthahidalgo @ADA_DiabetesPro
Shoutouts to @susan_bewley @drkevinknopf @MichaelBaum11 in this call for more than fawning coverage from press releases for these kinds of stories.
Also, linked history inside goes back 5 years just on Grail apparently trying to become Holy Grail. https://twitter.com/garyschwitzer/status/1408849696416841731
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