Talk:Gillian McKeith

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Comment[edit]

Just a comment on her 'thesis' from below: Blue-Green Algae is highly toxic, isn't it? Nobby 22:03, 24 October 2009 (UTC)

I don't think so. Just ugly in an aquarium? ħumanUser talk:Human 04:24, 25 October 2009 (UTC)
Then how come they put up signs near infected ponds and waterways telling people to steer clear and not let their dogs swim in it? Worried about the carpets? Fretfulporpentine 10:12, 25 October 2009 (UTC)
It is: "Consuming water containing high levels of blue-green algal toxins has been associated with effects on the liver and on the nervous system in laboratory animals, pets, livestock and people. Livestock and pet deaths have occurred when animals consumed very large amounts of accumulated algal scum from along shorelines." I am eating Toast& honeychat 10:28, 25 October 2009 (UTC)

God, I saw her show once. I thought she seemed quacky. Researcher 14:37, 27 October 2009 (UTC)

Bronze[edit]

I've added a bronze rating to this so the template can be tested, but what do other people think? does it deserve it? Totnesmartin (talk) 11:59, 3 May 2010 (UTC)

Yeah, this is the sort of level I'd suggest for that. Scarlet A.pngnarchist 12:03, 3 May 2010 (UTC)

McKeith's PhD and Twitter[edit]

Gillian McKeith's Twitter account is attracting a certain amount of attention, after she firstly abused a woman who mentioned in passing that she was going to be reading the chapter on McKeith in Ben Goldacre's book. This raised a fair amount of criticism. She then deleted those tweets. Some detail here . She has now started Tweeting (or probably her publicist has) to justify her qualifications - it appears with no real idea of how much this opens her up to massive public scrutiny and criticism. Open mouth - insert foot. See Streisand effect. This should be fun. Worm(t | c) 12:50, 14 July 2010 (UTC)

Oop. And she's now deleted her recent tweets. Oh dear oh dear. Worm(t | c) 12:58, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
And now she appear to be creating plausible deniability by claiming that the Twitter account is not real - curiouser and curiouser. The Twitter account was linked from her official website, but the link was removed - but only commented out rather than deleted. Doh! No, I'm not obsessed, just amused :) Worm(t | c) 13:14, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
Can/did you get any screenshots of this? It'd goodify the article. Totnesmartin (talk) 13:28, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
Def Streisand. 13:28, 14 July 2010 (UTC) SusanG Toast
There are screenshots out there, I'll see what I can knock together later. (at work atm) Worm(t | c) 13:35, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
Easiest way (for non twitterites like me) to watch is Google News 13:42, 14 July 2010 (UTC) SusanG Toast
Thanks for the link, Ms G. Twitter is banned here in the office but your link allows me to watch the whole train crash. Jack Hughes (talk) 14:44, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
Fun, innit? 15:00, 14 July 2010 (UTC) SusanG Toast
Fun one: Homeopathic Doctorate: the less actual education you receive, the more qualified you are. 15:08, 14 July 2010 (UTC) SusanG Toast
Grauniad 16:36, 14 July 2010 (UTC) SusanG Toast
It's a shame they closed the loophole that allowed Tweeleted to work so we could see what she was saying. I assume there's plenty of records kept manually, though. Still, fun! Scarlet A.pngnarchist 19:02, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
Nice précis of it here. 23:34, 14 July 2010 (UTC) SusanG Toast
Ben Goldacre is not asking for much, but is quite serious in wanting it. Also: fucking LOL - David Gerard (talk) 23:55, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
I kind of find the discussion about whether Goldacre could sue McKieth a little ironic considering he's one of the faces behind libel reform. Scarlet A.pngnarchist 11:17, 15 July 2010 (UTC)
He probably could, but is bending over backwards not to. Having Jack of Kent eagerly representing him is sort of like being an Internet cartooney making litigation threats and having Mike Godwin call you and suggest you back off - David Gerard (talk) 11:32, 15 July 2010 (UTC)

"Awful poo lady"[edit]

Human doesn't like it, but he probably doesn't realise how much in the UK lots of people commonly associate McKeith and poo. So I've bolded it again. I didn't realise just how common currency it was until someone at work said "time to go through the logs" and someone else called him "the Gillian McKeith of software", and even the woo-susceptible laughed - David Gerard (talk) 15:07, 31 July 2010 (UTC)

Well, there's looking at shit and shouting at fat people. Both are pretty much the character traits. Though I have to err on the side of caution as I'm not sure how much of that is genuine McKeith and how much is TV producers selectively playing up to the squick factor - it's not unheard of in reality TV, Victoria Stilwell's silly "dominatrix" undertones are all manufactured, Alan Sugar's bastard routine is copy/pasted in, and both Simon Cowell's and Charlie Brooker's misanthropic streaks are just for the sake of the camera. Scarlet A.pngnarchist 13:43, 2 August 2010 (UTC)
You've obviously never read anything Brooker's written - David Gerard (talk) 13:50, 2 August 2010 (UTC)

"Category:Food woo"? Why not...[edit]

... "Category:Poo woo"? --I'm bored (talk) 17:56, 21 October 2010 (UTC)

Cheap shot[edit]

But a good point Though I'd probably have that face if I had regular irrigations. Scarlet A.pngd hominem 15:26, 26 November 2011 (UTC)

Blue green algae[edit]

The stuff about blue-geen algae being toxic is flat out misleading (to the level I'd expect from somebody pushing woo, not RationalWiki). There are thousands of species of blue-green algae. Many of them are toxic, but not all. It's not clear to me which species of blue green algae McKeith is pushing, but it's almost certainly one of the non-toxic ones. I do find a mention of Spirulina in some of her material online; Spirulina is a widely used dietary supplement, and while there's certainly plenty of bullshit associated with it, there isn't any evidence of toxicity. What is in the article now is akin to claiming that somebody is promoting toxins because they suggest eating potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants (members of the often toxic nightshade family). I'm taking the stuff about blue-green algae toxicity out.70.242.139.228 (talk) 17:12, 24 June 2015 (UTC)

Can anyone verify this? Herr FüzzyCätPötätö (talk/stalk) 17:34, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
I've added a WP link to the use of specific strains of cyanobacteria as dietary supplements, but I think we can justly keep the bits which don't claim that the Awful Poo Lady is using the toxic strains and simply point out that in buying her algae, you're trusting your health to someone you probably shouldn't buy a used car from. ScepticWombat (talk) 17:47, 6 July 2015 (UTC)