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Dr. Oz & Trump Are Stuck In The 1960s

by Melissa Cruz

In his constant bid to declare himself the healthiest person to ever run for president — indeed, perhaps the healthiest person alive — Donald Trump was interviewed by Dr. Mehmet Oz on the Dr. Oz Show, that bastion of pseudoscience and weight loss pills. And while the Republican nominee and doctor are both known for peddling the fantastical, they have another thing in common — Trump and Oz complement each other's sexism. The Dr Oz. Show, as it turns out, is no stranger to sexism, making it the perfect fit for Trump.

Oz and his show have been under fire multiple times for peddling what other medical professionals claim to be pseudoscience, and Oz was even investigated by the Federal Trade Commission regarding his promotion of a dubious weight loss supplement. During this investigation, the doctor was called before a Senate committee and bashed for his disregard of consumer protection. Dr. Oz admitted only to using "flowery" language and later said, "In addition to exercising an abundance of caution in discussing promising research and products in the future, I look forward to working with all those present today in finding a way to deal with the problems of weight loss scams."

But the Dr. Oz Show also faced a great deal of another type of criticism after the airing of a 2010 episode that featured a gaggle of "dancing nurses." The segment highlighted a woman who claimed she had lost 200 pounds from dancing, and apparently in Oz's world, that meant it was the perfect time to bring out the dancing "nurses." Women dressed in nurses uniforms with revealing, red lingerie showing through the clothing then appeared on stage and danced with Oz and his audience.

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The stunt was condemned by several national nursing groups, including the American Nurses Association, which said viewers ought to "expect more" from a physician. "It's disappointing in terms of a show like Dr. Oz using that kind of sexist caricature of nursing," they said.

But as we know, Trump doesn't shy away from constantly spewing his own sexist commentary (being proud about refusing to change his child's diapers, telling a woman she'd make a pretty picture on her knees, making fun of Carly Fiorina's appearance, to name a few). The fact that Oz at times seems in line with Trump only helped the candidate push his "healthier-than-thou" message.

The sit-down with the celebrity TV host is, after all, in response to this election's year constant talk of the nominees' health, which Trump and his campaign have pushed more heavily upon Hillary Clinton's pneumonia diagnosis earlier this week. Trump is therefore using the interview to tout his alleged physical fitness (his doctor claimed, then sort of retracted, the opinion that the Republican nominee would be the "healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency").

But we probably shouldn't have expected too much digging into Trump's medical history with this one — earlier this week, Oz pledged to not ask Trump "questions he doesn’t want to have answered." You know, standard medical practice for a doctor.

Image: The Dr. Oz Show (1)