I used to have a lot of respect for Oprah. I used to think she was this extraordinary person with lofty ideals. Today, her image is a bit tarnished. Now I know she's as motivated by the almighty dollar as much as the next person. It's disappointing.
In an extraordinary reversal of her strident defense of the author whose book she catapulted to the top of the best-seller list, Oprah Winfrey said today she believed that the author James Frey “betrayed millions of readers” by making up elements of his life in his best-selling memoir, “A Million Little Pieces.”
She added that she believed “I made a mistake” when she said that the truth of the book mattered less than its story of redemption.
[…]
“I gave the impression that the truth does not matter,” Ms. Winfrey said. “I made a mistake.” To all of the viewers who called and wrote to her telling her she was wrong to allow Mr. Frey to maintain that his book reflected the “essential truth” of his life even though substantial details were falsified, Ms. Winfrey said, “You are absolutely right.”
Well, yeah, people complained. They emailed her, they wrote articles about her, they objected to being lied to. They objected to her defense of the liar. So now she has to reverse course. Her empire won't collapse because of this. Hell, it wouldn't have collapsed even if she'd continued to defend him.
I'd have been more impressed if she'd have confronted him on Larry King. Now, it smacks of backpeddaling. Damn, another icon ruined. I'll just file her away with Santa and the Easter Bunny….. (And yes, I know I should have known better.)
Hi Lynn,
Oprah has a little more integrity than you’re giving her credit for. If there’s one thing I believe it’s that she’s not a phoney. I don’t see opportunistic backpeddaling. I see backpeddaling, but she admitted that. Admitted to being embarressed by her mistake on Larry King. Eating her own crow, on her own show, and inviting her most prominent critics to take her on about it – right on her own stage.
Not the actions of a calculating opportunist. That’s my take.
Hi, Millenia! Thanks for commenting. I hear what you’re saying, and I don’t entirely disagree, but it’s just going to take me awhile. Her image is tarnished for me, not ruined beyond repair. I have always thought she was genuine and real, but this one bothered me.
I don’t think Oprah’s in any danger when she invites criticism, even on her own stage. Her cache is far too big to suffer from this. Everything she said on the show, I wish she’d said on Larry King. I wish she’d come out swinging on this from the beginning. I think a lot of people do.
But, she’ll keep doing her thing and helping a lot of folks and people will get over it. I don’t think this cancels out all the positive things she’s done by a long shot. 🙂
Thanks again for taking time to comment!