The Church of Oprah
30,000 people came to see Oprah this weekend. I can only shake my head in amazement. Frankly, I don't like the persona that is "O". When I've had a moment to cruise afternoon television and pause long enough to view her program, see her interviewed by Letterman or read her quotes in the press I've been struck by how above us all and disconnected from regular life she appears to be. Her life is not mine, likely not yours either. Her audience is embarrassingly cloying toward her. She holds the audience at arms length like a monarch and the peasants lap it up. Her disgust with less than luxury was clearly evident when faced with a night in the Wigwam Motel. She's generous with other people's money and uses her own to fund a school, not in any of her American backyards, but in Africa. Fisk University could have put half that amount to very good use. Even something as normal as marriage isn't suitable for her. She's just so special I feel downright sorry for her.
Last week Oprah revealed her list of favorite things. It's an annual episode I've seen parts of a couple of times and am regularly disgusted with for it's adoration of the giver that reaches god-like proportions. It's like rubber necking a car crash. Thankfully, I can only stomach a few minutes of that and I snap back to reality. This year's "Favorite Things" list includes Ugg boots (again), Planet Earth CD's, an HDTV refrigerator combo (do her viewers really need an excuse to live closer to the fridge?), her "Guide to Life", specialty soaps, and a presidential candidate named Barak H. Obama.
As usual, I find everything on her list less than useful for this family. No thanks, Oprah, we'll use Dove and Dial soap, keep our fridge in the kitchen and the TV in the living room, use the Bible as our guide to life and vote Republican.
3 comments:
Goodness now!! Don't be bitter....I'm no slave to Oprah, but at least we can say she's gotten millions reading good books.
I find most celebrity recommendations -- whether of products or politicians -- are not very useful to me.
However, I think Oprah is amazing...her achievements and her contributions to society are extraordinary.
I agree Oprah is kind of phony and self-exalted, but I do respect her for lifting up rather than putting down; she has helped a lot of people.
I'm not bitter. I hadn't thought of folks being 'slaves' to O. That's an interesting comment. She just comes across as badly as half a dozen other televangelists.
I forgot about the books. I disagree that many of them were 'good' books. At least one of them was a complete snow job ...which she bought hook, line and sinker.
Post a Comment