Has Dr. Phil Become the Next Jerry Springer?

From the Britney Spears fiasco, to rumors that he and his wife Robin are getting a divorce, Dr. Phil just can't seem to get it right these days.

In his latest desperate move for ratings, he allegedly posted a $33,000.00 bond for one of the teenage girls who was arrested for viciously beating a 16-year-old cheerleader in Florida. The disturbing video has been played time and time again and obviously Dr. Phil wants a piece of the action.

Mercades Nichols, who has been called the "ringleader" of the incident, had her bond paid by Dr. Phil's producer. Apparently, Mercades' family didn't have the money to bail her out so Dr. Phil came to the rescue. The producer led her and her mother out of the jail after banning the media from the premises claiming that "the Dr. Phil show owned the rights to her story."

How did Dr. Phil McGraw become so infamous? After realizing that he wasn't cut out for a psychology practice, he co-founded Courtroom Services, Inc., a company that uses psychology to help lawyers in trials. As a result, he was introduced to Oprah Winfrey in 1995 to help her fight a court battle against the beef industry. A few years later, Dr. Phil became a psychology expert on Oprah's show. His rise to fame quickly followed.

Since then he has been accused of everything from faking his shows to dishing out dangerous advice. It all came to a head when he showed up uninvited in Britney Spear's room in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was hoping to get new material for a show.

After the media fallout from his actions, he said, "Because the Spears situation is too intense at this time, and out of consideration to the family, I have made the decision not to move forward with the taping."

In like manner, he recently stated that the producer who bailed out Mercades Nichols "violated the show's rules and they will not be going forward with the story." Unfortunately, the repercussions from this latest incident may be very difficult for Dr. Phil to rise above. Trying to take advantage of an obviously disturbed young girl and her family is inexcusable. Did he even think about how the parents of the girl who was beaten would feel when they learned that he bailed out the perpetrator?

Ironically, since the incident the judge presiding over the case has imposed a gag order restricting the teens from speaking publicly.

After this latest attempt for ratings, Dr. Phil may now be forced to take his rightful position in the entertainment industry. His true calling and purpose in life have become clear. I'm sure Jerry Springer won't mind sharing the spotlight with him a bit.