"You Either Get It or You Don't": Conversion Experiences and The Dr. Phil Show
Using The Dr. Phil Show as a case study, this paper explores the processes of secularization and sacralization in the media spectacle of talk television. It argues that TheDr. Phil Showemploys the religious narrative of conversion to frame the personal experiences and the problems of participants. U...
| Published in: | Journal of religion and popular culture |
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| Authors: | ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
University of Saskatchewan
[2005]
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| In: |
Journal of religion and popular culture
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| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | Using The Dr. Phil Show as a case study, this paper explores the processes of secularization and sacralization in the media spectacle of talk television. It argues that TheDr. Phil Showemploys the religious narrative of conversion to frame the personal experiences and the problems of participants. Using discourse analysis, the paper examines two shows that exemplify this narrative: "Addiction" and "The Weight Loss Challenge." It argues that the morphology of conversion is comprised of two components: the confessional and the testimonial. As participants proceed through these ends of the spectrum of the conversion narrative, a transformation of self is depicted. The televised presentation of reoccurring conversions functions to produce a sense of moral authority, self-empowerment, and an imagined community. The paper concludes that the boundary between the sacred and the secular blur in this highly commodified television spectacle. |
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| ISSN: | 1703-289X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of religion and popular culture
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.3138/jrpc.10.1.005 |