4.19.2006

celebrity obsession and the "wisdom" of oprah

i have not been able to watch much of the oprah show since she announced in utter surprise, in all sincerity, to an audience member, "you mean you have NEVER heard of prada??!!" (there were other things that contributed to my decision, but this one was the one thing that had me saying "enough. i am finished watching this show".)
now at the time, i didn't even know what prada was. today i know it's simply another over-priced line of clothing and accessories, sold under the illusion to make you better than the rest or to put you in the ranks of the elite. what a bunch of useless nonsense for fabric, leather and thread.
yesterday i was not feeling well, so i spent most of the day resting. i decided to turn on the tv after awhile and noticed oprah was on. she was talking about the obsession we americans have with celebrities. can't argue there. seems to be the news stations deem it more important to find out what is up with angelina and brad or who has had the latest divorce, marriage, baby in hollywood than it does of informing us of more important subjects, such as the current bill in the house of reps. that will create a committee to look into impeachment. nope. americans don't wanna know about THAT.
so back to oprah. here she was sitting in her billion dollar studio, in her billion dollar leather or suede chair, with her billion dollar wardrobe and her billion dollar perfectly coifed hair (she looked like diana ross out of the 60's yesterday, btw--as her newest creation dr. phil would say "what was she thinking?!") talking about celebrity obsession. here she was talking in that oh so proper, know-it-all way of hers how obsessed we are.
does this woman fail to realize that when she has on a celebrity, she goes GA GA over them??? that she pumps up the audience with huge praises and comments about this INCREDIBLE/AMAZING/BEAUTIFUL putting mr/ms celebrity on a pedestal so high that not even God Itself could reach??? does this woman not have a CLUE that she helps create the very sickness she says we as americans suffer from???
i hesitate to say this, being it's really insulting, especially coming from me as a woman, but this is my blog and i'll say whatever i feeeeeeeeeeeeel like expressing, and right now i feeeeeeeeeel like saying "miss oprah needs to be bitch-slapped!"
knock her down a couple of notches. bring her back to reality.
does she ever welcome her unfamous guests with so much energy and adoration??? why not??? aren't they every bit as worthy and deserving as her celebrity guests???
put this out there to her and she is likely to say they are giving the audience what they want.
good point. however, being she has classified this as an obsession and an addiction, would she host a show on how to make the best alcoholic drinks for your next party to a bunch of alcoholics?
of course not. so why is she continiuing to feed this obsession and addiction by her own celebrity glorification?
because she can. because it increases her ratings.
next time she shows this "concern" over the celebrity obsession, i hope someone has a barf bag on hand that i may use. at the very least, i hope one of her counselor experts has the courage to speak up and point out oprah's own unlooked at contribution and responsibility towards this ever-growing obsession.
nina

2 comments:

REB 84 said...

I saw your post on LivingWithWar. The following is from QuestionItNow - StillinIraq

Saturday, January 07, 2006
Soldier Poet and the Cost of Occupation
Did anyone listen to NPR this morning? I missed the story, but saw this online. Anyone who wants to know the true cost of this Iraq Occupation needs to listen to the eloquent words of Soldier-Poet Brian Turner. In his book "Here, Bullet" he shares the insights that only someone who has been there can share. Read his tribute "Eulogy" dedicated to PFC B. Miller (1980-March 22, 04). It will haunt and inspire.

"Eulogy

It happens on a Monday, at 11:20 A.M., as tower guards eat sandwiches
and seagulls drift by on the Tigris River. Prisoners tilt their heads to the west though burlap sacks and duct tape blind them. The sound reverberates down concertina coils
the way piano wire thrums when given slack. And it happens like this, on a blue day of sun,when Private Miller pulls the trigger to take brass and fire into his mouth:
the sound lifts the birds up off the water, a mongoose pauses under the orange trees, and nothing can stop it now, no matter what blur of motion surrounds him, no matter what voices crackle over the radio in static confusion, because if only for this moment the earth is stilled, and Private Miller has found what low hush there is down in the eucalyptus shade, there by the river."
PFC B. Miller
(1980-March 22, 2004)

Nina said...

that is the reality that people need to be exposed to. while it is painful as hell to read, it connects us to the emotional center, which is missing in the intellectually driven, oh so controlled daily 'news' reporting surrounding this war.

thank you for dropping in...