Consult Dr. Brothers script with original letter, “flat-chested woman” segment, handwritten letter
Description:
Dr. Brothers received thousands of letters from viewers. She and her team would choose the letters to be read on her show. She would write up a segment offering her advice on the situation, which would make its way through the script-writers and television censors. She kept all of the iterations of this work together in a folder, one folder per episode. This is an example of the lifecycle of a letter to be read on television: first, Dr. Brothers received the letter, and a version was typed. Spelling errors and grammar were corrected for easy reading. Sometimes portions of the letter would be left out if they were deemed unimportant or repetitive. Second, Dr. Brothers would write her opinion and advice on the matter. Third, the station sent their edits and redactions, oftentimes differing dramatically from the original letter and her advice. Though the viewer’s issue remained the same, details and innuendo were frequently lost during this process.
Personally identifying details have been omitted.