Posted on 05/01/2006 1:13:35 PM PDT by SirLinksalot
I remember having such fear of having a daughter, since I thought all mother/daughter relationships were so toxic. Yet, my daughter has always been my shadow.
I have to agree. Much more often than is necessary, she is flat-out mean. The meanness dilutes her message, IMHO. Maybe this is the legacy of her childhood. Sad.
Yes I used to. I found it comical that people would actually call her to be abused by that sanctimonious biatch.
Like I said, her message had some merit (not all in my opinion) but her superiority attitude (especially when her past was far from perfect) got to be too much.
I didn't read the whole thing. But she is an amazing woman, and so right on the money when it comes to raising children and relating to relatives.
OTOH, she has a grating manner, a sweet voice that is sharp as a knife... she reduces her callers to tears. I don't necessarily argue with those tactics... but a lot of people hate her, and that's probably why.
Starting just about the time this women was a girl going through her childhood a movement was sweeping the country whereby parents were being rethought as arbiters of morals, reason, propriety and even discipline; it was from this movement that Dr. Laura received her impetus and careered down the path of those pioneers who convinced us that child-rearing was an art and not an example leading her to where she is today.
She isn't sharing her past with us, she is justifying her own position as self-appointed expert and bad-mouthing her dad in the process just because she may feel her readership will identify with her and create a bond.
Teaching children isn't all that hard, un-teaching them is almost impossible.
IMHO too. One can give good, tough, advice without being a bitch. So her callers have less than perfect judgment. Lack of tact and good manners is no better.
"I just finished this book over the weekend and I can't tell you how much useful and wonderful information I got out of it...she captured so many things I have been trying to articulate to my significant other."
So, he's still not house-trained, is he?
You nailed it.
You obviously didn't listen that much, since she made it clear she was far from perfect. She frequently talked about her feminist-type ideas, and her not being all that religious as she was a young adult. I remember her mentioning that all the time. What'd you want her to give specifics? I'm sure she never even remembered those pictures. She talked about how she changed. I try to avoid cold people, and I don't believe she was. She gave people advice, that was sometimes strict, but usually warm. She had plenty of sympathy for people who needed it. Ironically, from your posts, you seem to be guilty of what you accuse her of.
It's been a long time since I listened to Dr. Laura. It just doesn't come on at a convenient time for me. But when I did listen to her, the people she scolded seriously needed someone to tell them they were responsible for their own problems, and to quit screwing up. So I don't blame her for doing it. After all, they asked her to do so.
However, I totally agree with your description of the people who tend to call her show, or get on Judge Judy, etc, or worst of all get on Jerry Springer. They are all pathetic. Although the Springer ones are far worse than the Dr. Laura ones. At least they are trying to learn how to make an effort.
I've got problems, like everyone else. Not one of them is half as serious as the ones Dr.Laura addresses every day. Yet there is no way on Earth I could get in front of a radio audience of millions, even anonymously, and describe them. Too humiliating. They are my personal problems, and I'll handle them or live with them, but surely not share them with strangers.
What has her past got to do with her advice? Can't she learn by making mistakes like everybody else?
< I think she's a remarkable woman. >
Dittos."
I'm with you both. She's a good woman.
It was that she displayed such a morally superior attitude towards others. The fact that she had learned some tough lessons gave her standing when talking to others. The smug and holier than thou posturing turned me off.
Since she comes on after Rush (and everytime I try to adjust "the "boom box" I have difficulty Rush back on) I listen to her show frequently.
I don't think she is that rude or irritating, most of the time I wonder why she doesnt slap them more.
I was raised in a dysfunctional family by a couple of drunks. But I was fortunate in that they "dumped" me on my grandparents on every 3 or 4 day weekend and every vacation (be it Christmas/Easter or summer.)
My grandparents gave me the guidance that every young man needs (as well as the love that every child needs too).
For the last six years of my father's life I had no contact with him (other than finding nasty messages on my answering machine).
When my son called to tell me his grandfather had died, he was quite upset with me when I said "no loss, no report"...
Kind of ironic isn't it that the Dr. Laura bashers behave the way they accuse Dr. Laura of behaving? They all appear to be rude, mean and obnoxious.
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