No longer Dr McKeith - another small victory

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

Maybe no longer "Dr" in advertisements, but she's still "Dr Gillian" or "Dr Gillian McKeith" 27 times on her homepage (not including the 5 book cover images on which "Dr" is visible). That's up from 20 when I last counted them back in November last year. The ASA doesn't deal with claims made on a company's own website.

I've emailed to ask when she is changing it from Dr to Fr (for fraud )

info@mckeithresearch.com

 

[Dean Morrison]

What she's actually said is this:

Ms McKeith, 47, said the complaint to the ASA arose from a leaflet that did not include the disclaimer that she was not a medical doctor. She told The Guardian that she understood the honorific had to be removed from such leaflets but not all advertising. She said: “As far as I am concerned, because of the hard work I have done, I will continue to put PhD after my name and I am entitled to use the word Dr as and when I choose.”

So she still intends to use the title - just not in adverts where there isn't the space to fit in a disclaimer in the small print.

More interesting perhaps is the fact that she uses the title in German editions of her 'work' - in Germany posing as someone with and academic title that isn't earned is a criminal offence. Another of Ben Goldacre's contributors is on the case:

http://badscience.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1808&sid=f0b837358edb4d3eeacfe270e85dba40

 

[brettDbass]

What she's actually said is this:



So she still intends to use the title - just not in adverts where there isn't the space to fit in a disclaimer in the small print.

More interesting perhaps is the fact that she uses the title in German editions of her 'work' - in Germany posing as someone with and academic title that isn't earned is a criminal offence. Another of Ben Goldacre's contributors is on the case:

http://badscience.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1808&sid=f0b837358edb4d3eeacfe270e85dba40

Excellent stuff. I hope they stick with this pursuit and don't run out of interest.
It would be a fine result to bring this whole charade squarely to the top of the news stories.

ps. TAPL?

 

[Mojo]

TAPL?

The Awful Poo Lady.

 

[brettDbass]

The Awful Poo Lady.

 

[Rrose Selavy]

I'm not very good at remembering names but I never forget a faece.

-

 

[ponderingturtle]

Dara O'Briain does/did a bit on her in his comedy show and part of it is on his recent DVD.

Why are so many comedians sceptics?

Are they? So much woo is so stupid it is great fodder for humour, but that does not mean that they do not have many woo beliefs.

 

[Jaggy Bunnet]

Are they? So much woo is so stupid it is great fodder for humour, but that does not mean that they do not have many woo beliefs.

Many seem to be, of course it could just be that I find their material funny because they are sceptical..

Linda Smith, Python, Billy Connolly, Dara O'Briain and Alan Davies spring immediately to mind.

 

[brettDbass]

Many seem to be, of course it could just be that I find their material funny because they are sceptical..

Linda Smith, Python, Billy Connolly, Dara O'Briain and Alan Davies spring immediately to mind.

And not forgetting Harry Hill, of course.

 

[Ashles]

Many seem to be, of course it could just be that I find their material funny because they are sceptical..

Linda Smith, Python, Billy Connolly, Dara O'Briain and Alan Davies spring immediately to mind.

And Ricky Gervais who is extremely sceptical and openly and vocally atheist.

He also mentions Gillian McKeith in his current stand up tour "Fame" and says something along the lines of:

"No leave Dr Gillian McKeith alone. She IS a real doctor and I've seen a copy of the cheque she sent to a non-accredited university to prove it.
She gives out advice like 'You must eat all the colours of the rainbow to have a healthy balanced diet'... but surely that would be a diet of Skittles wouldn't it?"

 

[brodski]

And not forgetting Harry Hill, of course.

And the now show team.

ETA- and how could we forget Stepehn Fry?

 

[Jaggy Bunnet]

And Ricky Gervais who is extremely sceptical and openly and vocally atheist.

He also mentions Gillian McKeith in his current stand up tour "Fame" and says something along the lines of:

"No leave Dr Gillian McKeith alone. She IS a real doctor and I've seen a copy of the cheque she sent to a non-accredited university to prove it.
She gives out advice like 'You must eat all the colours of the rainbow to have a healthy balanced diet'... but surely that would be a diet of Skittles wouldn't it?"

O'Briain compares her advice to "eat broccoli, because it contains little pixies who will come out when you are asleep and mine away your fat".

Simpsons and South Park also appear to have a fairly sceptical attitude.

 

[bridgy]

Can I add Tim Minchin to that list of comedians...

Go to http://www.timminchin.com/media/ scroll down to the short song "If You Open Your Mind Too Much Your Brain Will Fall Out (Take My Wife)" and have a listen - I promise you it is brilliant!!

 

[Dean Morrison]

Can't believe you've missed out Douglas Adams! (author of Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy for anyone who hasn't heard of him).

Dawkins gave the reading at his funeral FFS!

..........

I'm sure there are some funny religious people too - but on the whole they're too pompous to be funny.

Being funny requires that you be irreverent doesn't it?

Kind of rules out the true believers doesn't it??

 

[Questioninggeller]

The television health presenter Gillian McKeith has agreed to remove the title Dr from her company's advertising following a complaint to the industry watchdog.

...

Her company, McKeith Research, offered to withdraw the honorific from future products before a full investigation was launched.
...
Max Clifford, Gillian McKeith’s PR representative, insisted she had not misled the public. He said: "This was one complaint in relation to one leaflet from one trade show, and it was withdrawn."
...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/12/nmckeith112.xml

Does this mean changing her official homepage?

http://www.drgillianmckeith.com/

 

[brettDbass]

And the now show team.

ETA- and how could we forget Stepehn Fry?

Fry is a waverer.
Read 'Moab Is My Washpot' to experience his ever-changing views on religion and the like.

In fact, read it anyway 'cause it's a bloody good book.

 

[Big Les]

Are they? So much woo is so stupid it is great fodder for humour, but that does not mean that they do not have many woo beliefs.

Case in point; you might expect Jack Dee to be somewhat sceptical (or in fact, cynical) but I heard him last week on Radio 4 telling the story of how he had his house exorcised of ghosts Apparently the pendulum the guy had really did move without him touching it... *sigh*.

And with BrettDbass's avatar in mind, let's not forget Stewart Lee and his Jerry Springer The Opera, as well as the stuff he and Richard Herring used to do vis religion on "Fist of Fun".

 

[Ashles]

And with BrettDbass's avatar in mind, let's not forget Stewart Lee and his Jerry Springer The Opera, as well as the stuff he and Richard Herring used to do vis religion on "Fist of Fun".

Oh yeah - I loved Fist of Fun. They did great parodies of biblical stories.

 

[jimbob]

"Warmunch", over on bad-science (yes we do infest here too...) has also complained to the Baverian Minestry of science,a s it is a criminal offence in Germany to pass oneself off as a Doctor without accreditation.

http://badscience.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1808

I have written to the Bavarian ministry of science, asking if TAPL or her publisher are breaking the law. I've presented the evidence as best as I could - this should be enough for a sufficiently strong suspicion to arise that the authorities look into it themselves. After all, this is a matter of criminal law, as I understand it. Und Robert ist dein Onkel.

Beg your pardon steve - this refers to my discovery that passing yourself off with a fake academic title is against German law, and that TAPL has done exactly that when she had her book translated.

Discussed here:
http://badscience.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1225

I felt this should be shared further...

Jim

 

[tkingdoll]

And with BrettDbass's avatar in mind, let's not forget Stewart Lee and his Jerry Springer The Opera, as well as the stuff he and Richard Herring used to do vis religion on "Fist of Fun".

You ever hear the 'banned' Simon Quinlank church crawl hobby sketch? It's very, very funny. The script was doing the rounds a while ago and there's a recording of that show online somewhere.