Dr Christian Jessen - problem with feminists or just controversial?

[heresyandwitchcraft]

One thing you may have noticed is that Dr Jessen sometimes appears to hold views that are diametrically opposed to many feminists on this board. Other people have alleged that he has a tendency to dismiss women more on Twitter, and it's therefore difficult to discuss these with him. So I have collected some of Dr Jessen's controversies here, in case anyone wants to talk about them.

Please make up your own mind, and have a look at the sources:

- a Twitter exchange with another Dr about whether child brides (aged 12) are acceptable in other countries

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3245071-To-be-disgusted-that-Dr-Christian-Jessen-considers-some-kinds-of-child-rape-to-be-morally-excusable-on-cultural-grounds
twitter.com/doctorchristian/status/711205104511295490?lang=en

-Tweeted: "Any lawyers explain why age of consent is 16 (implied that too immature to consent if younger) but age of criminal responsibility is 10?!"

twitter.com/DoctorChristian/status/712996773417975809

- Tweeting: "Glad to hear leading child protection officer Simon Bailey talking sense saying paedophiles should be rehabilitated, and not always jailed"

www.thesun.co.uk/news/2991248/embarrassing-bodies-dr-christian-jessen-sparks-twitter-rage-as-he-backs-cop-who-said-dont-jail-low-risk-paedophiles/

- Tweeted: "No I don't think paedophilia is a choice like I don't think homosexuality is a choice. And yes I have used both words in the same sentence!"

twitter.com/doctorchristian/status/537986446070906880?lang=en-gb

- Said that kids should watch pornography in sex-ed in schools
This is a quote by Dr Jessen from a Telegraph article:
Make kids cringe and squirm. I think it'd be very helpful in sex education to show the distinction between porn and sex as you have it. Most parents won't have the gumption, but at school that could be a good lesson. Not full-on porn, but images, for example, and then they could discuss whether that's a good thing or not. Get them to watch this video of a man being fairly aggressive to a woman in porn and talk about that. Parents would be in outcry, but so what?

www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/dr-christian-jessen-showing-pornography-schools-would-helpful/
twitter.com/telegraph/status/990513708563656704?lang=en

- Tweeted: "1) Terrible story of cabby accused of rape by female passenger only 2b saved by his recording of journey where nothing of the sort happened." And then allegedly proceeded to argue with women who challenged him. He has since deleted the second part of the thread which allegedly read: 2)Why do women do this?! 2 many rape cases ignored, so why try this sort of damaging nonsense on to make it worse? Loons.

twitter.com/DoctorChristian/status/353088718413905920
glosswatch.com/2013/07/06/dr-christian-jessen-rape-tweets-and-context-some-thoughts/
everydayvictimblaming.com/media-complaints/dr-christian-jessen-spreading-rape-myths/

- got into Twitter arguments when his show Supersize vs Superskinny was accused of being triggering to survivors of eating disorders, and Dr Jessen allegedly not showing enough sympathy on that issue

twitter.com/ilonacatherine/status/299129838365728768
sabotagetimes.com/tv-film/supersize-vs-superskinny-triggering-dangerous-morally-bankrupt
unsafespaces.com/2013/03/23/the-trouble-with-dr-jessen/

As a friendly community reminder I appreciate there are controversial views out there. I have merely collated these in the interest of discussion.

The last point isn't really about philosophical disagreements - it's included only because it came up when I Googled Dr Jessen controversy:
Dr Jessen did once have to meet with Channel 4 after allegedly posting explicit messages referencing drug use. He has since denied any wrongdoing: He started talking about getting some drugs and I told him not to buy any because it sounded like he was going to get ripped off but we didn't ever meet him and no drugs were taken.

www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/455910/christian-jessen-tv-doctor-harley-st-clinic
www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3167233/Dr-Christian-Jessen-defends-inviting-stranger-flat-drug-fuelled-romp.html

I couldn't find a recent thread for him, even though he's been discussed in the context of his friends. Again, I would welcome clarification from the good Doctor himself if I have gotten the wrong end of the stick here, but some of these views are certainly contoversial.

I think he’s a total arsehole and there’s something very, very creepy about him.

The bloke spends a lot of time defending paedophiles and hinting that the age of consent should be lowered.

I personally find that the way he discusses these issues can be provocative. In some ways, I agree that pornography should be talked about in school as part of sex ed - but I really don't think that means you have to watch it. Especially if parents don't want their kids watching it in class.
And I don't think cultural relativism when it comes to child brides at the age of 12 is a thing we should be supporting. There are times when you can say what you feel is right and wrong.

Doesn't he claim to have some kind of dysphoria himself?

I believe he has suffered with body dysmorphic disorder - which is a different condition. FWIW I hope he is alright and not suffering with it now. But I didn't think it was that relevant to this thread, which is more about his views.

I suspect he's a pretty troubled individual, who has struggled with mental health issues. And he's choosing to protect all the mean insecurity he harbours about himself, outwards. And he's been given the power to do that, because he's a man

project, not protect

I’ve not forgiven him for disparaging remarks about breastfeeding years ago. Against the WHO code and by a prominent doctor? He’s a woman-hater, I believe.

.... and as a consequence, he's an arsehole. All of what I've said above does not detract from or excuse the fact he is choosing to say arsehole things

he definitely seems quite narcissistic in his TV programmmes, mind you a lot of 'celeb' doctors do. I'm alarmed at some of his views to be honest, I think he infringes the spirit if not the letter of the GMC code of conduct somewhat.

Don't think you'll get anyone defending him on here.

I was feeding my youngest (who was 2.5 at the time) and volunteering as a breastfeeding peer supporter when this all kicked off:

www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2014/01/the-award-for-magazine-doctor-who-talks.html

And this was 2 years earlier: www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2012/01/breastfeeding-nazi-for-real.html

This is how the Sun covered that one:

DR Jessen maintains a strong stance that formula has been designed to be "as representative as breast milk as possible" and that a bottle fed baby is just as healthy

What's interesting is that this is later said to really just mean that he is sticking up for women who can't breastfeed.

"Women who have had a double mastectomy for breast cancer prevention, or breast implants, women on certain medications, people who in certain situations are HIV positive - there are lots of incidences that people just don't think about."

Does this sound familiar to the whole "people with a cervix" argument?

I can agree that women shouldn't be shamed if they are unable to breastfeed- but here he is shaming certain women who do for longer than he would like, allegedly calling them deragatory names like "breastapo." Which doesn't seem helpful or professional at all.

Yes, sorry op, I was going in the direction of TransplantsArePlants, (who said it succinctly, whereas I wrote a lot of waffle and deleted it) that he likes to think of himself as a fellow sufferer/victim. To be clear I wasn't trying to rationalise his comments.
It's a phenomenon isn't it, where you self-appoint as spokesman to marginalised groups purely because you see your (hypermasculine, professional white male) self as marginalised, not due to any actual insight, expertise or indeed any actual marginalisation.

Oh, I forgot to link to that article:
www.thesun.co.uk/living/3490484/tv-doc-christian-jessen-sparks-twitter-breastfeeding-debate-after-claiming-its-not-always-best/

Betty
That blog post is illuminating - because it's very true that society isn't super friendly to breastfeeding in areas outside the home, even now.

He hates women. Along with Dr Ballsup. Paedophilia isn't a choice?

Get the fuck outta here Dr and take your disgusting views with you.

As a straight women I worry for the LGB community - there is a well financed push from MAP. Watch out these fuckers are coming.

The fact that they are doctors is quite disturbing.

Oh, and as a point of interest:
He did a programme years ago where he underwent "gay conversion therapy," which sounded awful. He's clearly against the practice.

BUT
Isn't it a little strange that he seems to be siding with an ideology that is against lesbians being able to openly reject trans women as sexual partners? You know, because they're female homosexuals and trans women are male...
And then writes things about how women can have penises in a very dismissive tone?

I also find him creepy and narcissistic. But new mothers do get a lot of pressure to breast feed, and often feel guilty and a failure if they don’t succeed, or choose not to.
Post natal depression is common, and implied criticism about bottle feeding from health professionals can make this worse.
Literally millions of us were bottle fed as babies, and grew up hale and hearty. As a doctor, I look at the long term outcomes for breast and bottle fed infants in the U.K. and think really there’s bugger all difference - everyone’s making a fuss about a non issue. Feed your own baby whichever damn way you want, and don’t pressure others to do the same - and that goes both ways!
Mothers would do a lot better if they used their own judgement for their own circumstances, instead of following the latest dogma from the health police. I’ve seen so many medical diktats reversed over the 36 years I was in practice - today’s dogma is tomorrow’s heresy.

He's a complete dickhead. A creep.

He's quite the charmer, isn't he?

Mothers would do a lot better if they used their own judgement for their own circumstances, instead of following the latest dogma from the health police. I’ve seen so many medical diktats reversed over the 36 years I was in practice - today’s dogma is tomorrow’s heresy.

A statement I agree with. But there is definitely a better way than calling those who advocate for breastfeeding disparaging names.

Women should be helped to realise their personal breastfeeding goals, whatever they may be - not pressured to breast feed against their instincts, not made to feel guilty when it doesn’t work out.

Doctors shouldn’t be deliberately goading women in the media, on any topic.