Dr Phil says adulterers are putting others at risk during coronavirus lockdown: 'It's selfish and immature'
American television personality, author and former psychologist Phillip Calvin McGraw, known worldwide as the lovable Dr. Phil, recently expressed some peculiar views regarding the coronavirus pandemic and adultery. Joining ‘TMZ Live’ on Monday, the 69-year-old talk show host had a stern message.
“I was saying, it’s a bigger issue. Because it’s just not having an affair if people are invested in anything, and they are hedonistic and entitled, then they are reluctant to give it up,” Dr. Phil said on TMZ. “That’s just so selfish and immature that they are putting people at risk.”
‘TMZ Live’ hosts Charles Latibeaudiere and Harvey Robert Levin, joining him on video call—because of the coronavirus-led social isolation and self-quarantining—said, “The point is, you’re only supposed to be having contact with someone you are already in quarantine with, and you clearly aren’t in quarantine with whomever you’re having an affair with. So, you just gotta let that go.”
Dr. Phil responded, “Everything is about a sacrifice right now. Nobody wants to give up all of their activities, whether it’s illicit like that, or you work, or it’s something like the trip you had planned, or whatever you wanted to do. But look, we’re all in this together. We’ve got to be willing to make these kinds of sacrifices. Just those people who really lack empathy that really don’t care what the impact is on somebody else, and are so immature that they are not willing to discipline themselves, those are the ones that are continuing to pursue these things, illicit or otherwise, that put other people at risk.”
Levin asked Dr. Phil, “What is it that is making people defy all of this information that we are bombarded with?” The TV host said, “You know, part of it is just denial of not wanting it to be true. I talked to several people last week when I was taping a show right here from the kitchen, and they’re just telling themselves that this just isn’t true. They don’t want it to be true, so it isn’t true. And I’m saying it comes from young people. They’re going on spring break. I talked to a pastor in Louisiana. He said he’s having eleven hundred people to worship services because -- he said, ‘Look, this is, we’re just gonna let god handle this’.”
He concluded, “It’s immature, it’s denial, it’s people not wanting to accept the reality ‘cause they don’t want to make the sacrifices.”
Dr. Phil’s stance on adultery has always been a staunch no. His website details an advisory for adulterers that includes stuff like, “you can no longer be in contact with the person you were having an affair with. Avoid the places you know he/she frequents, change your phone numbers, and if you're unsure of your strength in staying away from him/her, then move.” But sex in the time of coronavirus has become a tricky situation. So much so, that the New York City Health Department recently issued an advisory on “how to enjoy sex and avoid spreading COVID-19”.
The advisory mentions things like, “You are your safest sex partner. Masturbation will not spread COVID-19, especially if you wash your hands (and any sex toys) with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after sex,” and, “The next safest partner is someone you live with. Having close contact — including sex — with only a small circle of people helps prevent spreading COVID-19,” and, “You should avoid close contact — including sex — with anyone outside your household.”
Well, looking at the third point, it would appear the NYC Health Department and Dr. Phil are both saying basically the same thing, although the former seems way less stern. And it is essentially good advice. After all, the coronavirus has over 42,000 reported cases and more than 500 deaths in the United States alone.
