Friday, August 12, 2011

And that's a wrap! By Celia




Dr. J doing what she does best!
It’s been an amazing summer interning with Dr. Judy! I cannot believe how fast time flies. I still remember my first day as  her intern, rushing to CNN and The Friars Club-still shell shocked about being in New York! The past few weeks have been incredibly hectic, since I have been fortunate enough to accompany her to various TV programs that she a guest on.
Breathtaking view of Columbus Circle near dusk
Last week, I was able to attend a Channel 11 news program, where Dr. Judy was a guest on Dr. Steve’s show; he’s a medical doctor who has a show like Dr. Oz, that airs on WPIX-TV in NY and on five other Tribune stations, and is going to be syndicated in the fall.  She spoke extensively about male menopause, and how it is a real phenomenon that men go through.  I absolutely loved watching her interact with Dr. Steve and thought that the various points that she made regarding male menopause (also known as “manopause” and which Dr. Judy called “andropause” referring to male hormones) were incredibly interesting. I had no idea that menopause affected men as well as women-it always seemed like an inherently female issue, since society has made it out to be that way. Since most people think that male menopause is the same as a mid-life crisis, I was captivated by Dr. Judy’s in depth analysis of the biological issue. Male menopause not only inflicts men in some of the same ways in inflicts women-depletion in libido, energy and sleep deprivation-but can really deter a man’s overall level of life if it is left unacknowledged and untreated.  She also pointed out how it was amusing that we ise a masculine prefix – menopause -  for the “female change of life” when it could be called “woman-o-pause” (but it is based on the word “menarch” for menstruation. She also pointed out that the age for andropause is widening to 35-55 years old for men.
 After Dr. Judy’s appearance on Channel 11, we had to rush right over to her next appearance scheduled on CNN’s HLN  (two TV appearances in a single day-typical, which is typical, and another typical thing that so many things happen in one day and one minute)  where Dr. Judy was on the Issues show with Jane Velez Mitchell where she is a regular guest. She was doing two topics on the show.  We rushed upstairs where she quickly had make-up put on and went into the studio.  On the first segment, she was to talk about a law student who murdered his next door neighbor.  Why did he then talk so calmly to the cops, she was asked.  She talked about a psychological state that was very interesting.  The next segment was about the recent trial regarding Warren Jeffs, the infamous leader of the polygamist commune who was convicted of sex abuse of a 12-uear old and a 14-year old in his community. I loved watching Dr. Judy speak on the show  -- I usually watched on the TV in the CNN Greenroom -- since she added a substantial amount of psychological insight regarding the trial and mentality of Warren Jeffs himself. She also spoke about how the children in the commune were unable to say “no” because they were never taught to by their mothers, who are also victims.   It is very sad that women today still fall victim to a svengalo man and will do whateer he says.  Last time o the show, Dr. Judy pointed out how women would undress, shave, and engage in intimate activity together at his command and follow his “training” to please him, or risk, he told them, not being blessed by God.
            A week later, I was able to accompany Dr. Judy on yet another TV appearance on CNN’s HLN Issues with Jane Velez Mitchell, this time speaking about the recent death sentence of Anthony Sowell, who was convicted last year of murdering 11 women and dumping their remains around his Cleveland home. I always love watching Dr. Judy appear on television-no matter which network she speaks for- because she always makes sure to use her intense background in psychology in order to relate interesting psychological information to the viewers and help the audience understand the overall pathology of such madmen, while also relating the message to real people’s lives
            At the end of the show about the Warren Jeffs case , she brought up a few key points that really struck my core. Dr. Judy said that Warren Jeffs obviously harbors severe sociopathic tendencies, but it is the women-his victims- who need the most help, because they are incapable of standing up for themselves and leaving the cult ranch where they are being brainwashed.  .  All women need to know they have a mind of their own instead of desperately following a despot, and they need to protect their daughters from such sex abuse.  Dr. Judy was part of the feminist movement, like a real Smithie in the tradition of Smith alum Gloria Steinem, and advocates women’s self esteem and independence, so it upsets her when women of this generation have not progressed.  It was horrifying to hear some of the victim’s stories on television, but I am truly fortunate that I was able to hear Dr. Judy’s psychological analysis regarding the situation as a whole.