"Many people who love food so much that they begin to use it for comfort, company or love may have an
underlying intimacy disorder.
This may be worth exploring."
~ the brilliant Mary Jo Rapini, Psychotherapist from the show "Big Medicine"
I didn't retract, but I did add a disclaimer.
My rants about the treatment of the wonderful Marc Brackens, that 800 pound (now 400) man from "Big Medicine" on TLC was based on my watching ONE episode, and according to Marc, it did not show an accurate picture of the excellent care he has received from Dr. Garth, Dr. Davis and Mary Jo Rapini, L.P.C.
The REAL Marc, superstar that he is, heavy-weight-loss champion of the airwaves, left a comment on my Blog (on MySpace) to shed light on his side of the story...
Lisa,
I am Marc Brackens from Big Medicine. I am the really big 800 pound man who would not comply with doctors wishes. I have to set the record straight on a couple of points. First of all, I was never discharged after surgery. I developed the blood clot in the hospital. The editors chose to set it up that way for dramatic effect. Obviously it worked. Secondly, I have a very good relationship with the doctors, Mary Jo and my trainer, Austin Davis who donates his time graciously without pay or compensation from TLC or anyone else. We are all about supporting each other. We take a pledge that when one of us gets healthy enough to we help another patient with their struggles.
The episode that you saw was a Hollywood wonder. It was taped last October. Since then, I have lost over 400 pounds and that's not due to scare tactics. It is due to a team effort from the surgeons, the therapist, and trainers along with my family, Friends and God. I am very blessed. Please don't believe everything you see on TV.
Please try to be more selective in your comments and try to get the facts first. Support us not badger us and add quality input to others as they read this and other blogs.
The trainer , Austin Davis and Therapist Mary Jo have worked hard and been very encouraging in their efforts. They pointed out your comments to me and they were concerned that you had the WRONG IDEA and asked if I could enlighten you a little bit. Take it for what it's worth. This is not second hand info but direct from the source facts. Let it be known that TLC, Big Medicine, Dr. Garth Davis, Dr. Robert Davis, Austin Davis , and Mary Jo Rapini are the best team of WLS experts in the country. The cases they take they take on is because of potential not pity.
Thanks for watching. Stay tuned for season two...then I'll give you something to write about.
Marc Brackens
Wow.
I was knocked out.
Marc reached out with such integrity to defend the reputations of his docs, counselor, trainer, family and fellow patients. The fact that Marc was inspired to do so is a true testament to the compassionate care he must be receiving.
I applaud him and his caregivers.
BUT, and you knew a big BUTT was coming...that's not what I saw in that episode.
Marc points out that what I saw was a "Hollywood wonder" and what a wonder it was!
Whoever edited that episode must have wanted it to have a more dramatic effect than it would have had it depicted Marc's care more accurately.
And it worked.
The episode had an effect.
It effected me so much that I wrote two blog posts in response to it.
Those posts attracted comments (on MySpace) from both Allen and Marc who are patients from the show.
Regarding the professionals from the show Marc writes that "They pointed out your comments to me " meaning my blog got "their" attention.
That blew my mind!
Was it one of the docs?
Was it Mary Jo?
Someone cared enough to want to set the record straight.
(What really blows my mind is that they cared about MY comments!)
My goodness, what a snowball effect!
The editors, task mastered by network suits I imagine, got what they wanted: controversy.
Controversy gets attention.
Attention of the viewers, the buying public, the financial engine that runs the network, CONSUMER BUYING POWER!
Apparently they count on the consumer viewers to tune into watch tough love, scare tactics and the stereotype of the weak willed fat person.
I have a finger itching to point but I'm not sure where to point it.
Somewhere along the line SOMEONE decided that putting a certain spin on Marc's treatment by showing select segment that led me, and I'm sure others, to believe that his caregivers were employing tough love scare tactics rather than understanding and compassionate team support. Someone, somewhere decided that showing the episode and casting Marc's story in THAT particular light was more attention grabbing than showing the empathy and kindness that, according to Marc, are actually saving his life!
Why?
The someones somewhere who make those decisions have a responsibility. They're not the doctors. They're not the caregivers. They're in business. They have a responsibility to their network. They have a responsibility to their shareholders. They have a responsibility to their advertisers. Bringing in a large, captivated audience is their job.
In my opinion, they did their job.
Maybe you're about to say, "yeah but what about...?"
What?
Integrity in reporting?
Accuracy and honesty??
Those values almost always take a back seat to the bottom line in business.
Network television is a business.
"Big Medicine" is a reality show but NOT a documentary and NOT a news show.
I'm not saying they did the moral, upstanding thing by showing a more dramatic version of Marc's story. I'm saying they made a good business decision.
It's unfortunate that morality and integrity do not always go hand in hand with profit-making.
So, where does that leave us?
As Marc said, get the facts.
Should I have done some in depth investigative reporting before I ranted on my Blog?
No. I don't think so.
I was reacting to a show as it was presented.
All I had to go on was what I saw during that time slot.
I had every right to react to what I saw as I saw it.
AND I take Marc's comment to me very seriously.
He did the responsible thing.
Here's where the responsibility kicks in...
freedom of speech.
God bless the internet.
In this vast, nearly horizonless arena, we are able to freely connect and communicate.
We can set our own bottom line.
Marc is able to reach out and tell me his interpretation of his own experience.
His team is able to point out a commentary on my Blog that indicates how someone can get the WRONG IDEA resulting from strategically edited bits and pieces of reality.
Here we can share experiences without the constraints of commercial interests.
We can agonize, criticize, contemplate and comment to our heart's content.
We can get to the bottom of things.
Thanks Marc, for helping all of us to get there.
http://TheSkinnyOnline.blogspot.com
