Evil Has a Name
Oprah is evil.
I’m not sure when I came upon this brilliant assumption, but it’s been building for quite some time. Sure, you could say that she’s a talented interviewer, a generous philanthropist or inspiration for women everywhere. You could even say that I’m just jealous of her enormous success or the fact that she has more money than God. But I say it again … Oprah is evil.
I saw Oprah’s true form the other night, as by circumstance (mainly that I was too lazy to get up off the couch) I was coerced into watching a DVR-ed episode, a variation of her “Oprah’s Favorite Things” motif telling us what’s allegedly hot this summer.
Oprah didn’t use any market research or trend-watch analysis to determine what these “cool things” were for summer ‘07; she simply, and admittedly, picked things she liked. But what’s inherently wrong and evil about that, I surmise, is that these Oprah-ordained “cool things” now suddenly ARE cool entirely because Oprah said so.
It’s the same problem I’ve always had with her Book Club. Sure, she’s encouraged millions of housefraus who otherwise would be content reading TV Guide (or Oprah’s magazine, in which she’s suspiciously on the cover every month) to actually pick up a novel and read it, but these Oprah-sanctioned tomes are instant best sellers simply because Oprah told her audience to go out and buy them. And what’s shockingly apparent from watching the show is that Oprah’s audience, who were perhaps heretofore free-thinking women, do exactly what Oprah tells them to do. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, good intentions or not.
On the “cool things” show, Oprah of course, and quite generously, gave every member of her studio audience each and every one of the can’t-do-without items that the O deemed cool. By the way these women in the audience (and yes, they were all women) hooted and hollered and were brought to near-orgasm by each of Oprah’s gifts, you would have thought she’d cured cancer, delivered a lost gospel or opened a freakin’ Ponderosa in Darfur. Sure, I’d like a gift bag with the latest iPod, a $200 pair of designer sunglasses and even the wretched Beyonce’s latest CD, but I darn sure wouldn’t prostrate myself on national television for it.
That’s what’s scary, and downright evil, about Oprah Winfrey: her power over millions. OK, maybe it’s being used for good things like reading books and giving to charity and building schools in Africa right now, but who’s to say that Oprah might not turn her evil eye toward a more insidious cause? Like enslaving the nation’s housewives into a Stepford-like killing army, finally forcing Stedman to marry her .. or even a run at the White House? The mind reels.
June 1st, 2007 at 7:55 am
I came to the same conclusion after years of hearing how wonderful Opera was. My problem with her is that she’s always pointing out all of the great things she does, and drawing attention to every single good deed. Why not just do something nice because you want to help someone. Does everything have to be a publicity stunt? She is the most conceited, pretentious person ever!
But, Jeff, I’m going to warn you not to assume the majority of house wives are content sitting around reading TV guide or O magazine, eating bon-bons and watching soaps. You’re selling them short, and when Opera does use them to create a super army, you’ll be the first target.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:56 am
Ponderosa in Darfur. You are my hero
June 3rd, 2007 at 9:08 am
Yeah Jeff, house wives eat bon-bons, watch soaps, AND vacuum.
June 4th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Jeff Morse is going to see me stand on my soapbox again about this…
I am still waiting for Oprah to apologize for her role in perpetuating the “people are being raped and murdered in the Superdome” rumor. She visited New Orleans after Katrina for her own exploitative reasons - so that she could have an special “Oprah” that, in effect, blasted the response and implied that help was not forthcoming because the displaced people were black. (I won’t defend the response; it was terribly organized.)
After the New Orleans police chief reiterated the “rape and murder” rumor, Oprah went on a rampage that included yelling and finally, tears.
I don’t care how many schools in Africa that woman builds. She can’t do a single nice thing without making a special TV episode around it and promoting herself. Oprah is evil.
June 5th, 2007 at 1:13 am
Oprah is not evil. Her audience is stupid.
June 5th, 2007 at 11:00 am
Hey Mister Grammar: housefraus? Try Hausfrauen!
June 6th, 2007 at 11:14 am
Oprah is not “Evil”, It’s just a sad state in which this country has come to. It is so sad that loyalty is so cheaply bought. I agree the absolute power corrupts absolutly, But what does that say for the millions who follow her and think what she has to say is gosple? I think people need to start thinking more for themselves and not be taken in so easily.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
Oprah is the biggest fool on the planet for dissing her own people and embracing africans. She has fell for a big con. The south africans got so much money out of her that they actually had a budget surplus for the first time since black rule!
If she had a brain, she would be taking these african presidents to task on why they are not intelligent enough to provide govt funding for free schools in their all black countries.
January 8th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
I can’t help but agree, you should check out an article at Dailycents.com, the writer’s opinion is close to yours, the link directly to the article is http://blogs.dailycents.com/?p=775