Dr. Phil "naked man" lawsuit moves forward

A hearing date has been set in a lawsuit against TV therapist "Dr. Phil" McGraw and CBS over an incident in which a naked man confronted plaintiffs in a reality-style TV show. In 2007, Shirley Rae Dieu of Irvine, California, and Crystal Matchett of Michigan were among six guests at "The Dr. Phil House," for a CBS Television program. The group was there to work through issues of personal interaction while cameras and microphones recorded the events. On the third night, the participants were told to expect a special guest. According to reports, the guest was a completely naked man who showed up at the front door.

"As a naked man ran into the house, I was in shock and total disbelief of what was happening, feeling violated and disgusted," Matchett said in court documents. "I heard... Dieu scream, 'How dare you' while covering her eyes and running into the bedroom."

The two women are suing for unspecified monetary damages, charging fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The women said they expected to receive counseling as part of the show and now say they were misled. The cases were originally brought separately, but have since been combined into a single suit.

Attorneys for CBS and "Dr. Phil" McGraw point out that all the program's participants signed liability waivers. The attorneys are calling for a dismissal on free-speech grounds. However, in January, a three-judge appellate court ruled that the case can move forward. Last week, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Fahey scheduled a hearing for July.

That our culture
has programmed
anyone to feel
threatened by a
naked body is
nothing short
of appalling.

Whether or not the women and other guests were deceived in a fraudulent manner is something for the courts to decide. However, Nakedism cannot help but note that there is something profoundly wrong with a society in which seeing another human body in its natural state of undress is cause for emotional distress. Humans claim to be the most evolved and intelligent of species, but still end up expressing shock over things that other animals just take in stride.

Of course, humans have to contend with culture. It's pretty safe to say that those who grew up in a naturist culture ever complained of being traumatized by seeing one another naked. Unfortunately, that enlightening experience is foreign to most people. That society has programmed women (or anyone) to feel threatened by the appearance of a naked body is nothing short of appalling. It's biology, people. Get over it.

According to an attorney for CBS and McGraw, the naked guest was intended to challenge the tolerance of the participants. Looks like they got their wish.

Note: Photo is for illustration purposes only and does not depict the reported events.