Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Oprah, Take Two

     
Let me just start off by saying I think this woman should be forced to travel coach (without her Coach)  AND be forced to buy her entire wardrobe at Target for the rest of her days for putting Dr. Phil on the airways.  


Say you: You are so not going to slam on Oprah.  


Say me: Oh, you watch me.  


Say you: She's the classic rags to riches story!  She grew up with an outhouse, for crying out loud. 


Say me: Yeah, come to find out her "extreme poverty" has always been embellished to make a better story.  


Say you: She's an inspiration to women around the world! 


Say me:  By telling people to bath every day for 15 minutes, hawking nauseating self help platitudes (If you dream it, you can achieve it!) and "The Secret", which is essentially new age, psychological snake oil->


Say you: She's given away millions of dollars! 


Say me: And every time has done a show (or two), and/or a prime-time special, and/or print interviews, and/or magazine articles in her magazine about it.  Which kinda makes it all about her.  Oh, and the Angel Network?  Viewers donate to the organization all the time.  And then Oprah makes donations from that organization in her own name to charities of her choosing.  Slick.    


Say you: What about all those cars she gave away?  Those were cool.  


Say me: The car company donated all those cars and the recipients of said cars got hit with a tax bill to the tune of 7K because the cars were considered prizes and not gifts.  Do YOU have that kind of cash lying around? Oprah?  She just got the publicity for "giving away" the rides. 


Say you: Well, what does your "consumer project" have to do with Oprah anyway?  


Say me: Are you kidding?  The woman has a $50 million, 23,000 square foot mansion.  She calls it...wait for it.... "The Promised Land".  No. Not kidding.  Plus she had the nerve to get the president of Hermes on her  season opening show a few years back so she could take him to task  because she was kicked out of a Paris store when it was closed.  Do you know how much Hermes bags cost? Roughly the cost of a year's college tuition at a state school.  You should need no more than these two tidbits to let you know she is the personification of "consumption".  


Say you:  But...
 
Say me: Not to mention the fact that Oprah IS a brand: talk show, radio shows, production studio, magazine, and God knows what else. She's trademarked her name, for crying out loud.  


Say you: But...


Say me: Plus she's a control freak.  Which doesn't surprise me. What I was shocked to learn is that anyone who ever works for her, from her executive producer down to the woman who washes her sheets, has to sign a gag order saying they will NEVER talk about Oprah.  EVER.  Like, until-they-die kind of "never".  Which is the very definition of "paranoia", suitable for a DSM-IV-R code and everything. 


Say you: Let me talk!  


Say me: OK


Say you: She's obviously a savvy business woman.  


Say me: No doubt.  One doesn't get to be a billionaire without being savvy.  She's also a bit, dare I say, narcissistic.  


Say you: Narcissistic? That seems harsh.   


Say me: Who else has ever graced the cover of her magazine? 


Say you: Ummm....


Say me:  I rest my case.   -> 



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6 comments:

vic said...

I have to say I'm fairly ambivalent towards Oprah - we have far less exposure to her here although to be honest, your post has made me less ambivalent!

Tanya said...

My MO these days is just to do what I can to not support her. That and read any anti Oprah articles (and books) I encounter. And then try and spread the gospel.

Tanya said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chelsie said...

Ellen was on the cover and so was Michelle Obama. That being said I can't stand the woman. She gives me the heebie jeebies.

Brother Frankie said...

ive branded my name too.

but nobody cares, or even wants to use it.

i followed you over here from your other.

maybe you should brand your trenchy name too..

be blessed
brother Frankie

dawtch said...

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds the woman nauseating...
bb
dawtch
ps - how funny! my verification word for this comment is "pnoid" LOL