Why Do People Hate Suzanne Somers?

Suzanne Somers is an American actress, author, singer, and businesswoman who gained fame in the 1970s as the ditzy blonde Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company.

While she enjoyed tremendous popularity early in her career, over the decades Somers has become a controversial and divisive figure, drawing intense criticism and even hatred from some. There are several reasons why Suzanne Somers has her detractors:

Reasons for Dislike of Suzanne Somers

Promotion of Questionable Health Advice

One of the biggest sources of animosity towards Suzanne Somers stems from her advocacy of questionable health and medical advice. Somers has promoted a number of unproven, pseudoscientific health practices over the years:

• Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy – Somers claims this alternative hormone therapy cured her breast cancer, but mainstream doctors say there’s no evidence for its effectiveness or safety.
• Alternative Cancer Treatments – She has endorsed alternative treatments like antineoplastons and hydrothermal therapy for cancer, which lack scientific support.
• Anti-Aging Regimens – Somers sells many supplements and treatments purporting to slow aging, most with little to no proven effects.
• Criticism of Conventional Medicine – She often criticizes doctors, conventional cancer treatment, and the FDA, advocating alternative approaches. But many of her claims about traditional medicine are inaccurate or exaggerated.

Many view her health claims as irresponsible or even dangerous, given her lack of medical training or expertise.

ThighMaster Fame and Infomercial Work

Another source of criticism towards Somers stems from how she became wealthy and remained in the public eye. After Three’s Company ended, her fame and public platform came from starring in infomercials and heavily promoting products like the ThighMaster:

• Somers became the face of the ThighMaster, a piece of exercise equipment that promised to tone thighs. This led to mockery that she was better known for the product than her acting.
• Her extensive work in infomercials selling dubious health products fed into the view that she was promoting pseudoscience.
• Some felt she was exploiting her celebrity status to make money promoting questionable products of little value. Her platform came more from advertising than talent.

Views on Aging, Appearance, and Diet

Somers has also drawn criticism for her outlook on aging, diet, and health:

• She promotes overly restrictive diets, cleansing programs, and intense diet pills that have concerning health effects. Somers advocates “extreme biohacking” of the body.
• She has been accused of promoting unhealthy obsessions with staying as youthful looking as possible. Somers denies the natural aging process and encourages extensive anti-aging interventions.
• Some find her fixation on appearance and seeming refusal to age gracefully to be offensive or send a damaging message to women.
• She denies that poor health can come naturally with age. This outlook implies aging people are entirely in control of their health and dismisses the realities of aging bodies.

Major Controversies and Backlash

Suzanne Somers has been embroiled in a number of controversies that have fueled public disdain:

Cancer Treatment Claims

In 2001, Somers was diagnosed with breast cancer and decided to forgo chemotherapy in favor of alternative treatments. She claimed these treatments cured her cancer, but faced backlash from the medical community for promoting unproven therapies over conventional medicine.

Obamacare Criticism

In 2013, she viciously attacked Obamacare, claiming it was a form of socialism and people would die waiting for care. Critics denounced her claims as fearmongering and spreading lies about the Affordable Care Act.

#Me Too Comments

In 2017, Somers drew ire for victim-blaming comments about the growing #MeToo movement against sexual harassment, implying women are “big girls” responsible if they end up in abusive situations at work.

COVID-19 Views

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Somers promoted baseless conspiracy theories, including claiming the virus was “man-made,” masks are unsafe, and hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment. Many condemned her COVID misinformation.

Damage to Public Image and Reputation

The controversies and criticism surrounding Suzanne Somers over the past two decades have greatly damaged her public image and reputation:

• She has gone from beloved sitcom star to a widely ridiculed figure, often treated as a punchline.
• Many view her as an irresponsible hack peddling pseudoscience and conspiracy theories for money and attention.
• She is now seen more as an infomercial star shilling products of dubious medical value rather than as a serious actress or entertainer.
• Somers is broadly maligned for spreading misinformation, whether about health practices, public policy, or major current events.
• Her dismissal of conventional medicine and science has led many to simply tune out her opinions as ill-informed and even dangerous.

Conclusion: A Cautionary Tale

The public backlash against Suzanne Somers stands as a cautionary tale of what can happen when a celebrity leverages their fame to promote unproven health remedies, comes to dominate public discourse, and takes controversial stances on sensitive topics.

Though beloved by fans early on, Somers ultimately lost broad public respect by repeatedly promoting dubious medical claims, fixating on appearance over substance, and seeming to value profit and publicity over evidence.

Her discredited image now serves as an example of how star power does not equal expertise. Regardless of one’s opinions of her path since the height of her career, Suzanne Somers’ deteriorating reputation reflects much broader shifts in society’s expectations of how public figures responsibly use their platform.

FAQs About Dislike for Suzanne Somers

Why do people call Suzanne Somers a hack?

People often refer to Suzanne Somers as a hack because after her acting career declined, she heavily promoted questionable health remedies, infomercial products, and diet fads for personal profit. Her critics feel she lacks expertise and is exploiting her fame.

What unproven health claims has she made?

Somers has promoted bioidentical hormones, alternative cancer therapies, detox cleanses, extreme diet pills, antibiotics for cancer treatment, excessive vitamins and supplements, and more unproven health products or claims.

What are some of her most controversial comments?

Some of her most infamous claims include that Obamacare is socialism, hydroxychloroquine cures COVID-19, everyone will eventually get cancer, aging is optional, masks are dangerous, and blaming victims of sexual assault.

Why did people get mad at her breast cancer treatment choices?

People criticized her choice to forego chemotherapy in favor of alternative treatments like injecting herself with mistletoe extract because doctors say there’s no evidence those therapies alone can cure breast cancer.

What ThighMaster complaints did she face?

Critics felt she became more famous for selling the ThighMaster in infomercials than for acting talent. Some thought she was exploiting her celebrity to make money promoting a product of questionable effectiveness.