People have been ragging on Oprah for several years especially on certain blogs and I always felt I had to defend her. I even did this post a little over a year ago explaining why I liked her so much. Now, not so much.
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As I do not have official transcripts from her show, I will give my version of it. It was several weeks ago. I haven't really been watching it a lot this season because I seem to always have something else to do between 4:00 and 5:00, but I have caught several shows. One day I caught one that totally changed my opinion.
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Oprah comes out and starts talking about the new album by Il Divo. She says something like: "I just heard this song yesterday and I HAD to have them on today. It took a lot of phone calls to track them down, but we found them!" She's all grins and giggles and asks, "So where were you when you got the call?" One of the European dudes says, "We were at the airport in Houston. We had just performed there after a long tour and were on our way back to Europe to visit with our families." OUCH!! All I could think was, poor guy! That's awful. Oprah did not even catch it. His comment just bounced right off her bright green ego bubble. She was even more grins and giggles then, like LOOK WHAT I DID!! My admiration for her went "fwoomp" up in smoke like a simple magician's trick.
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Really what it did was break my heart. There's nothing sadder than having someone you admire disappoint you. These guys had been on a long tour and were on their way home to their families and she HAD to have them on her show the next day? What??!! Why? It's bad enough these poor guys work for Simon Cowell - who is a barrel of fun on "American Idol," but I wouldn't want to work for him. Then Oprah makes the call and says jump and they have to jump. It made me sad, but I'll get over it. Hopefully.
12 comments:
HUH? Did I miss something here? What ever happened to these guys just saying "NO".
They didn't have to come do her show---BUT, they must know that by doing her show they will SELL Millions of Albums. Why blame her for them saying "YES, we will do your show"???
I'm sorry my dear, but I just don't understand why you would be so disappointed in Oprah over this?
Be disappointed in them, though I must say, I honestly don't understand being disappointed in anyone over this....Did I miss something?
I think you are right... not because Oprah has an ego as large as Texas but because she just couldn't conjure up a bit of empathy for others. She wants them on her show and on her show they will be . The Queen has spoken.
Yes they might have refused, but it would have probably sunk their careers like the Titanic hitting the iceberg. Their agent and recording contract also probably did not give them much of a choice.
I think slowly, slowly people are starting to revise their opinions of Oprah. Her ratings are slipping. She lost out to Ellen for daytime talk queen. Her magazine ain't selling so well anymore. That Oprah's Big Thing show (or whatever it was called) was a capital "D" disaster; she's being sued by most of Africa... However, Old, Old Lady - you DO NOT say no to Oprah and hope to continue having a career. You have no idea how much power she wields and how vindictive she can be when crossed.
Naomi,
~~They are new enough in their career that I imagine they have little power. They are under contract to Simon Cowell who would not have said no to Oprah. They sounded and looked very tired. And like Xip said, Oprah can be very vindictive when she does not get her way.
Big Brother,
~~Yes, I do not believe they had a choice.
Xup,
~~Thanks for explaining it a little better.
Gee, I didn't see that particular show, but seems I too have noticed some change or shift of her ego lately as well. Couldn't exactly put my finger on it, but you did a good job of pinpointing a self-centeredness there.
You know the old addage, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". No doubt with Oprah's wealth and power she is probably surrounded by "Yes" men/women, and perhaps it's ALL starting to catch up with her.
My divorced brother-in-law said it ALWAYS bothered him that his ex-wife use to call him her Knight in Shining Armor because he knew he was just human and wondered when she would see it. She saw it and divorced him! We're all just human I guess though, and we have to take the good with the bad...for the most part.
I'm afraid the lady is too self-important and hubristic for my tastes, though a body has to admire her accomplishment.
I think there's a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that we don't know about Oprah and won't know about Oprah until, gosh, I don't know, sometime in the future when she's not so powerful.
I wrote her a letter a long, long time ago, back when her phenomena was new and shiny. Her reply letter is dated October 19, 1988, and it's signed by her. I've saved it ever since.
Thing is, I wrote her again back in 2004, I think, regarding endometriosis and how it's an undiagnosed epidemic, a much more important issue than a teenager's ramblings, and never heard a thing back from her.
The quality of her shows have deteriorated, I think, and more and more she comes across as an oblivious, bubbly Queen. When she does display compassion, to me it seems contrived. I don't know if it's just because she's a celebrity now or if it's because her innate intuition has become dulled.
I do think she's done a lot of good and provided a lot of inspiration, though, over the years, so I hesitate to judge her too harshly, you know?
Anyway, I agree with your assessment of the situation -- if you're somewhat new and you want to make it and you're under contract, you do whatever publicity comes your way and Oprah is huge. (sigh)
I think her reaction to their comment (about having toured and wanting to get back to their families) says it all. What happened to the old Oprah, the one who'd show compassion for something like that?
Not an oprah fan, somehow I'm not surprised.
Carole,
~~Good point. Oprah does a lot of good. But so many of her shows are about seeing your true self. She seems to have gotten lost.
Ian,
~~Yes.
Jammie,
~~Well, the thing is, they have been on her show several times so it's not like they were getting new exposure. I think she wanted them there and that was it.
Scarlet,
~~I know! I also wonder if anyone else saw it the way I did.
Jazz,
~~Well Jazz, I think it would take quite a lot to surprise you.
Boo!
Of course her ego is big. She did just get elected pres--- Uh, I mean she did help get the new guy elected president.
I've never been a fan of Oprah, I think she has way too much power for one single person. I think she did a lot of good and will probably continue to do a lot of good. But she's human and it's scenes like these that show she is, after all, no better than you or me. So, Im not surprised either.
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