For those who may somehow have missed it, the talk-show host created a ruckus late last week by threatening an intern from a Savannah, Georgia, newspaper, who had the timerity to ask a question about research spending and drug prices while Williams was taping an event for the Partnership for Prescription Access, for which he is the prime spokesman. He abruptly ended the session and, later, encountered her and colleagues in his hotel, where they were attending an unrelated event - and he threatened her by saying he would 'blow you up.' (
You can read the background here).
So we asked you what pharma ought to do. After all, this is an industry that repeatedly cites regulation, litigation and intellectual property as key reasons for not doing a better job of explaining itself in the face of bad press over safety and prices. Mistakes happen, but paying a well-known TV personality to throw a fit and threaten to blow up someone with a legitimate question isn't likely to generate dialogue or foster understanding. The response was clear - Williams should go. Take-away lesson for pharma: next time, don't just hire an even-tempered personality, but give that person sufficient info to offer meaningful answers to questions.
Should pharma fire Montel Williams?
Yes - 135 votes, or 71 percent; No - 54 votes, or 29 percent.
Total voters: 189
5 Comments
If Montel is an MS patient, he is likely on a polypharmaceutical regimen including steroids, which are going to affect his mood and make him susceptible to outbursts like this one.
The public would never understand this; Montel was a poor choice for the role, given the potential side effects of his treatment.
Meanwhile, Montel is looking to hire interns for his production company! See the story on Pharma Marketing Blog: http://pharmamkting.blogspot.com/2007/12/montel-williams-seeks-interns-for-2008.html
P.S. A poll of my readers shows these results:
Yes [fire him], because I support zero tolerance for this kind of behavior: 66%
Yes, because he's now a PR liability: 20%
No, because he has apologized: 11%
No, because it's no big deal: 1%
Unsure: 1%
Mr One Iron -"If Montel is an MS patient, he is likely on a polypharmaceutical regimen including steroids, which are going to affect his mood and make him susceptible to outbursts like this one.
The public would never understand this; Montel was a poor choice for the role, given the potential side effects of his treatment."
You are incorrect in presuming that an MS patient would be on a routine regiment of steriods. A five-day high-dose IV steriod treatment is commonly used to shorten the duration of an MS flair, but they are not used longterm. If the MS progresses and no longer responds to other treatments, a one-day steriod pulse treatment may be implemented monthly.
The high-dose steriods can seriously effect your mood and your ability to function normally. If Montel had been in the middle of steriod treatment, there's no way he could have made the appearance in Savannah. IMHO.
The primary MS drug which I believe Montel does use is Copaxone, which I also use. It does not effect mood or behavior.
For a brief discussion of this incident and links to information regarding PhRMA, PPArx, and MS read Is Montel Williams Disturbed by Big Pharma?
[...] of YouTube, this story is even juicier. Read all about it at Prescription Access Litigation blog, Pharmalot, or WSJ [...]
The public would never understand this; Montel was a poor choice for the role, given the potential side effects of his treatment. "
You are incorrect in presuming that an MS patient would be on a routine regiment of steriods. A five-day high-dose IV steriod treatment is commonly used to shorten the duration of an MS flair, but they are not used longterm. If the MS progresses and no longer responds to other treatments, a one-day steriod pulse treatment may be implemented monthly.
Endorsed.