You're currently reading an archived version of Jim Hightower's work.
The latest (and greatest?) observations from Jim Hightower are only now available at our Substack website. Join us there!

Four out of five doctors recommend that you not believe any advertising that makes claims based on the opinions of four out of five doctors. Or, for that matter, ads based on the opinions of even one, well-known doctor.
Take Dr. Robert Jarvik, one of the pioneers in the development of the artificial heart. You might have seen him on TV throughout the past couple of years touting the healing power of Lipitor, a cholesterol drug made by Pfizer. The pharmaceutical giant has paid the doctor $1.3 million to shill for the drug. In one of the ads, Jarvik is depicted as an athletic rower, skimming in his boat across a mountain lake. The implication is that he is full of vigor, thanks to the cholesterol-clearing power of Lipitor.
Enjoying Hightower's work? Join us over at our new home on Substack:
Jarvik’s endorsement of the drug oozes credibility – until you realize a few facts not mentioned in this $250 million ad campaign. One, that’s not Jarvik rowing so robustly across the lake. It’s a stunt man posing as the doctor, who apparently doesn’t row at all. Second, while Jarvik touts the cardiovascular benefits of Lipitor, he is not a cardiologist. And, even though he has a medical degree, he is not licensed to practice medicine. What he is, is a marketable medical name, having been, as the ad put it, the “Inventor of the artificial heart.”
Oh, that’s the third hicky on Jarvik’s testimonial. He is not “the inventor.” A large team at the University of Utah worked on the heart device back in the early 1980s, and they credit two others as deserving of the “inventor” honor – not Jarvik.
A top Pfizer executive says the corporation regrets that the ad led to any “misimpressions.” But that’s exactly what this direct-to-consumer ad campaign was designed to do. Drug companies spend some $5 billion a year on ads to “misimpress” us – and it’s time to rein in their deceit.
“Pfizer to End Lipitor Ads With Jarvik,” The New York Times, February 26, 2008