# I might as well pit Oprah in advance. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 5, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264 "2005-09-05T23:33:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/21 "2005-09-06T04:06:58Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > So somebody _explain_ to me how having first person interviews with willing Katrina survivors who want to share their experiences is exploitation. Because pandering to the emotional voyeurism and vampirism of the target audience in order to induce a cathartic experience is tawdry. Granted, neither the survivors, the audience, nor even O herself probably sees it that way. And I’m not sayin’ it’s a given it’ll come off like that. But a talk-show host doesn’t have to encourage chair-throwing to be exploitative. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/22 "2005-09-06T04:11:48Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > No, not racism: discrimination. Oprah has always stuck me as pretty truthful and a pretty good judge of someone’s motives, which makes me think it very likely it happened the way Oprah’s people said it did. Discrimination my ass. The store was closed. Anyone who demands to get into a store after hours is being an ass. If she needed time to shop by herself, she should have called ahead. She didn’t, too bad, so sad. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/23 "2005-09-06T04:12:31Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > No, not racism: discrimination. Oprah has always stuck me as pretty truthful and a pretty good judge of someone’s motives, which makes me think it very likely it happened the way Oprah’s people said it did. What? Not lay out the red carpet for Queen Oprah? Racism, must be racism. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/24 "2005-09-06T05:03:58Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > So tell me, dear, since these pieces of indisputably classic literature are “drivel”, what have you been reading lately? How old are you? You don’t remember her _original_ book club? Isn’t it obvious that’s what was being called drivel? ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/25 "2005-09-06T05:13:37Z")
> [@](#): > > **Askia** : > So somebody explain to me how having first person interviews with willing Katrina survivors who want to share their experiences is exploitation. > [@](#): > > **Digital Stimulus** : Because pandering to the emotional voyeurism and vampirism of the target audience in order to induce a cathartic experience is tawdry. Put much spin on the experience, **Digital**? What makes Oprah’s target audience so disgusting to you as opposed to…Tim Russert’s? Sharing the experiences of those who have endured hardships and survived may serve many purposes. It may be cathartic and healing for those who endured. It may make those who listen more understanding, supportive, compassionate, and giving. It may be part of a movement to remove the blinders from the eyes of the ignorant and the indifferent. Maybe it will be a small part of the beginning of reform in this country. I agree that Oprah appears to have a _huge_ ego. But she is also enormously generous. There is nothing about her that appears to be “positively white” as one poster put it. What the hell does that mean? (Blacks don’t wear makeup and have nice clothes?) Yet Oprah is one of the rare celebrities that has never been hesitant to let photographers take pictures of her without the makeup man and hairdresser nearby. I’m old and white and that has nothing to do with being in or out of her demographics. Some of her shows may be silly and some are hokey, but some are perfectly straight and sensible. I taped one recently about health and nutrition that seemed very sound to me. So far I haven’t heard a reasonable explanation of _why_ her experience in Paris was racist. If she does a show on it, I hope that someone will flag me down. I don’t watch on a regular basis – just if I happen to notice that something of interest to me is going to be on. She’s not for everybody, but she is certainly a decent human being who does not deserve the trampling she seems to get by people who seem to be fairly unfamiliar with what all she has done for others (and I’m not talking about giving away cars). ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/26 "2005-09-06T05:40:36Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Generally speaking, the woman is a force for good in the world. I suppose she’s a force for good in the world in much the same way the television network Lifetime for Women is a force for good in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/27 "2005-09-06T06:16:04Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I suppose she’s a force for good in the world in much the same way the television network Lifetime for Women is a force for good in the world. Ah, so you’re just talking out of your ass. Ever heard of Catherine Hamlin? Now, _she’s_ a force for good in the world. She’s an Australian surgeon who has dedicated her life to helping women with fistulas from obstructive childbirth. We’re fortunate here because they don’t occur as frequently as they might, and when they do, they are repaired pretty much immediately. In parts of Africa, not so much. After a traumatic birth, these women found that urine or feces just flowed freely out of them, constantly, and there’s not a damned thing they could do about it. They stank, consequently, and they became pariahs. Their lives are effectively over. Last year, Dr. Hamlin’s clinic was nearly shut down from lack of funding. So Oprah did a show on her and her work. This one I saw, and I’m not about to forget it. Yeah, there was heartbreak. I’m sure there were flowing tears as women talked about how Dr. Hamlin gave them their lives back. You can deride it as exploitation if you want, but the fact is that a lot of good came of it. Not only did donations flow in, allowing Hamlin’s clinic to remain open, but she was able to [expand](http://www.ethioembassy.org.uk/Archive/Newsletter%20Archive/Newsletter%20February%202005.htm). > [@](#): > > \*\*US Talk Show Host Visits Addis > > American talk show host Oprah Winfrey paid a one-day visit to Ethiopia to open a training centre named after her at the Addis Ababa Fistula hospital.\*\* > > The 1.2 million birr extension, which was constructed on land donated by the Addis Ababa City Government, was built after the former actress gave US $ 450,000 to Hospital Executive Director, Dr Christine Hamlin. The extension is to house a training centre, two clinics, and a dormitory for on-duty doctors. > > The Mayor of Addis Ababa Government Ato Arkebe Equbay attended the ceremony, at which he said the extension “would not have been possible without Oprah Winfrey’s generosity and efforts to draw international public attention about the condition of Fistula patients.” > > He described the work on the hospital as an “example of the city government’s commitment to improve the condition of women in Addis Ababa in all areas of life.” > > “Now more than any time, we are determined to create an environment where women are empowered and their specific needs are addressed,” the Mayor said. > > Mrs Winfrey also announced her plan to open a “great” school for girls in Addis. It is believed she will be involved with the City Government’s plan to open 5000 classrooms, for which support will be required from public funds and the private sector. > > A function in City Hall was held in her honour on 12th December to show the city’s appreciation and gratitude for her efforts to raise international awareness of the plight of fistula patients, during which Mayor Arkebe gave her the key to Addis Ababa for her contribution. An edition of the Oprah Winfrey Show devoted to the work of Dr Hamlin, was broadcast in the US in January 2004 with an appeal to raise funds for the fistula hospital. Dr Hamlin has helped more than 25,000 patients who have experienced the pain and suffering of living with the impact of fistula birth. That’s, like, one example. I’m sure that people who watch her regularly will be able to think of others. She has the ability to shine a light whereever she pleases, and she puts it to good use. That’s good. She does good. I may not Tivo _The Oprah Winfrey Show_, but anyone who’s paying attention knows she’s a hero, whether it’s for relatively obscure causes like fistula patients on another continent, or closer-to-home things like consistently hammering home the importance of literacy, education, and self-determination. If all that estrogen makes you swell up – get over it. She gets it done, and ought to be acknowledged for that. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/28 "2005-09-06T07:55:23Z")
thank you, Larry. I think it’s positively pathetic that people would go after Oprah. (Although I have to say I’m pretty bugged about her Hermes thing…get over it, girlfriend. Come down to earth! ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/29 "2005-09-06T07:56:38Z")
> [@ltfire](#): > > …And, not for nuttin’, she seemed to blend right into the crowd, with her hair pulled back tight, and no make up. Certainly nothing like the ‘star’ you see every day on the tube where she looks…dare I say it…positivly white. What the hell are you talking about? What looks “white” about Oprah, please tell? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/30 "2005-09-06T08:33:16Z")
When you’re a celebrity, you never win. Either you don’t do enough, or you’re only doing it for the publicity. By the way some people seem talk, no celebrity has ever been generous, because once we find out they’ve given 2.4 katrillion dollars to something, it was only because they have a new book coming out, or they were in the middle of scandal that they wanted to divert attention away from. It also seems to me that it’s even worse for black celebrities - they really can’t win. If they’re powerful, successful, and display their intelligence, they’re ridiculed for being Uncle Toms or “too white” or not keeping it “real”. If they have the street persona, flash a lot of bling, and play down their intelligence , they’re contributing to the problems of the black community. People want to tell their stories, and other people want to hear them. If all we ever saw out of December’s tsunamis was washed up hotels and shacks and storefronts, I can guarantee that not nearly as much money would have been raised. Seeing the victims talk about their pain, their loss, their suffering - that makes it real to those of us not actually living through it, and makes us understand why we need to do what we can to help. There’s nothing wrong with giving people the means to personalize something that’s happening outside of their own sphere of life, if it means they’ll do something to step outside that sphere to help their fellow person. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/31 "2005-09-06T09:27:38Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > 'Cause you know that bitch is positively wet with the prospect of all the poor, pathetic, tragic victims of Katrina she’s going to be trotting out on her show, making them relive the horror, make them cry on TV for our vicarious & perverse viewing pleasure, then give them a free “slimming” makeover & new car. > > Most of the pathetic tragic victims will be women of course. Although, I suppose at some point she’ll haul out some token, pathetic male victim as long as she can get him to cry for us on TV too. > > I hate you in advance Oprah, you exploitative bitch. ::Looks up, sees that this is the Pit:: You are a fucking tool. Oprah has done more to help people than you ever will. Yeah, Oprah has people with problems on her show. Then she does something about it. She sends people who require it to counseling. She gives tons of money to people who need it She promotes causes and programs that she believes in. Alot of them. She could have gone Jerry Springer but she didn’t. She uses what she has to help people lead better lives. What, exactly, have _you_ done lately? Slee ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/32 "2005-09-06T10:00:37Z")
We need to get some human perspective on this disaster. Numbers of people losing homes is one thing, hearing their stories is another. It is not exploitation. Personally, I like to watch Oprah on one channel and Uma Thurman on another, then switch back and forth. Oprah…Uma…Oprah…Uma… ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/33 "2005-09-06T10:04:27Z")
> [@ccwaterback](#): > > What? Not lay out the red carpet for Queen Oprah? Racism, must be racism. I could think of better reasons why a FRENCH store owner might not open his store after closing hours for an AMERICAN. 😃 Just kidding - store owners generally only care about money, but in many areas in Europe I think people care even more about closing hours. Probably because they’re a bunch of lazy socialists. Or in the case of a store like Hermes, they have \*enough \* money anyway. I agree with the general sentiment that Oprah does more good than bad, however much I despise any kind of healer that prevents people from (also) seeking proper medical attention when they need it. ---
**Author:** ![furlibusea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@furlibusea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furlibusea)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/34 "2005-09-06T11:24:47Z")
> [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > \*\*Sattua \*\* > > Originally Posted by Excalibre > > So tell me, dear, since these pieces of indisputably classic literature are “drivel”, what have you been reading lately? > > How old are you? You don’t remember her _original_ book club? Isn’t it obvious that’s what was being called drivel? I am almost possitive that she had one of Toni Morrison’s books in the first or second season, and the books have never exactly been Harlequin. I don’t get the Hermes thing, I lay it down to being too close to Tom Cruise, it must make for reality gaps in your brain, and I probably will never forgive her for Dr. Phil, but she is still an admirable human being. I don’t know if the angel network is still going, but I thought it was one of the best things she ever did. She does alot, but she encouraged others to do what they can, and she used to celebrate those who did. (She may still, I haven’t watched regularly in a while) ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/35 "2005-09-06T12:04:27Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Sharing the experiences of those who have endured hardships and survived may serve many purposes. It may be cathartic and healing for those who endured. It may make those who listen more understanding, supportive, compassionate, and giving. It may be part of a movement to remove the blinders from the eyes of the ignorant and the indifferent. Maybe it will be a small part of the beginning of reform in this country. Yes, it _may_ do any or all of those things. And catharsis is not necessarily a bad thing; let’s give Aristotle his due. But it _may_ do none of them. I’m not saying Oprah is on the same level as Jenny Jones (or others). Nonetheless, an open request for an explanation of how it could be exploitative was asked for, which I gave. In purposely scathing terms. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/36 "2005-09-06T12:33:45Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > No, not racism: discrimination. Oprah has always stuck me as pretty truthful and a pretty good judge of someone’s motives, which makes me think it very likely it happened the way Oprah’s people said it did. > **[Oprah and the View From Outside Hermes' Paris Door](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/23/AR2005062302086.html)** The above Washington Post story has completely changed my mind regarding the incident. I completely recant the charges of discrimination, which were prompted by those persistent and false “North African” rumors. Both sides say the first incident, as reported, never happened. Those rumors do not appear to have originated with Oprah’s people but others in the retelling. Gonna go wash off the egg. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/37 "2005-09-06T13:16:36Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Personally, I like to watch Oprah on one channel and Uma Thurman on another, then switch back and forth. Oprah…Uma…Oprah…Uma… Uma Thurmon has a TV show? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/38 "2005-09-06T14:53:39Z")
[Here’s](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/68107/102-7067062-6620154) a list of all the books Oprah has recommended in her book club. Let’s see, where’s the drivel? Would that be “East of Eden”? Oh wait, someone said to look at the stuff that _used_ to be in her book club. OK, the 1996 list… Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon. Wasn’t that a Harlequin pick in 1977 when it first came out? Oh wait, no, it’s considered to be on “the top shelf in the ranks of great literature.” Let’s look at 2000, maybe the romances are there. House of Sand and Fog? Is that the one about the gorgeous orphan who meets her prince while working as a maid in Paris? Hmmm… maybe I’m thinking of a different book. I’m all for a pitting, but even the Pit requires facts and cites. You just can’t make stuff up. I’m no big Oprah fan, but you’re really scraping the barrel if you’re trying to pit her for her literary selections, much less her charities and humanitarian work. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/39 "2005-09-06T16:10:30Z")
Tuesday, Sept. 6, live from New Orleans (I’m on her e-mail list). I’m looking forward to it. Like most of us, I’ve been watching, listening, reading the coverage from different sources. It’s too big a picture to get my head around, and it’ll be interesting to see what Oprah might be able to elicit that the others haven’t, and how she chooses to act on what she learns. Hell, there’s no way she **couldn’t** go there. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264/40 "2005-09-06T16:10:53Z")
I like Oprah and Dr. Phil, though I have watched maybe 4 Oprah shows ( and not their entirety) and maybe one or two Dr. Phil’s. Daytime TV has never interested me at all. I like her magazine. It rocks. The book selections that I’ve tried to read have left me depressed. Then again, I was heavily involved with Romance Novels and anything else was crap. Now that I’m trying other lit and genres, I just might like them. But, she turned America on to reading. That gets major Brownie\* points in my book. I wish I had a nth of her money and power. I’d rule the world with an iron fist! \*What the hell are Brownie Points anyway? Is it about the Girl Scouts or what? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-as-well-pit-oprah-in-advance/320264.md?page=3)