The Importance of Being Oprah

Where does it say I watch Oprah?

I read about her Katrina "efforts" in an article.

From yesterday's Salon:
Franzen has apologized and clarified, blamed his own inexperience in handling the media and attributed his reservations to not wanting to see a "corporate logo" on the cover of his book -- but it will be difficult for him to erase the impression that snobbishness caused him to diss Winfrey. And so, alas. Alas because "The Corrections" is a very fine book, one of the best I've read in several years, and Franzen is a well-intentioned, hardworking, serious and very talented writer whose work I've long admired (full disclosure: I know Franzen socially). "Oprah Winfrey is bent on demonstrating that estimates of the size of the audience for good books is too small," Franzen told the New York Times Wednesday, "and that is why it is so unfortunate that this is being cast as arrogant Franzen and popular Winfrey."

Was she just adding a bit of class to the schmaltz and mawk industries, or does she add to the overwhelming ickiness of it?

One of the earliest books in her book club was The Shipping News. I'd bought the book and seen a sticker that it was on Oprah's reading list. Had to have somebody explain it to me. I loved that book... not one-dimensional at all.

I thought it was very odd, even foolish, that Jonathan Franzen -- whose publishers were likely THRILLED to have Oprah choose him -- took such a stand. I'll have to look in my old New Yorkers because I can't remember any good reason, other than holding his nose at too much publicity. Yesterday, Salon called it "a gaffe."

Quote:

From yesterday's Salon:
Franzen has apologized and clarified, blamed his own inexperience in handling the media and attributed his reservations to not wanting to see a "corporate logo" on the cover of his book -- but it will be difficult for him to erase the impression that snobbishness caused him to diss Winfrey. And so, alas. Alas because "The Corrections" is a very fine book, one of the best I've read in several years, and Franzen is a well-intentioned, hardworking, serious and very talented writer whose work I've long admired (full disclosure: I know Franzen socially). "Oprah Winfrey is bent on demonstrating that estimates of the size of the audience for good books is too small," Franzen told the New York Times Wednesday, "and that is why it is so unfortunate that this is being cast as arrogant Franzen and popular Winfrey."

Well put, InfraBlue. I also like her more than I don't.

I do think she has made a difference among people who watch her. I've heard people discussing issues that never would have come up if they hadn't heard it on Oprah.

I love the fact that people may have forgotten she's black.

Isn't she one of the top 10 richest Americans? (Don't actually know the stat, just know she's amazingly rich.)

dlowan wrote:

Was she just adding a bit of class to the schmaltz and mawk industries, or does she add to the overwhelming ickiness of it?

I think that's left up to opinion, and where one stands on the schmaltz, mawk meter. I used to watch her show and Phil Donahue's back in the day when I had a lot more time on my hands. I used to watch the soaps too, I'm afraid to admit.

For being rather ambivalent about her, I think I like her more than I don't.

Piffka wrote:

"Oprah Winfrey is bent on demonstrating that estimates of the size of the audience for good books is too small," Franzen told the New York Times Wednesday, "and that is why it is so unfortunate that this is being cast as arrogant Franzen and popular Winfrey."

Now, THAT worries me. Her celebrity means he is seen as bad?

mac11 wrote:

Well put, InfraBlue. I also like her more than I don't.

I do think she has made a difference among people who watch her. I've heard people discussing issues that never would have come up if they hadn't heard it on Oprah.

I love the fact that people may have forgotten she's black.

Isn't she one of the top 10 richest Americans? (Don't actually know the stat, just know she's amazingly rich.)

THAT'S interesting.

Have they?


Have the black ones?


We know Oprah hasn't.


When and with whom else is that forgotten?


What does it mean?

I love the fact that people may have forgotten she's black.

She's the neighborhood success story. So all-encompassing that viewers forget she is black. I've seen her remind her audience more than once; a smile and a quick look down at the color on her arm.

Jonathan Franzen will not be on The Oprah Winfrey Show because he is seemingly uncomfortable and conflicted about being chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection. It is never my intention to make anyone uncomfortable or cause anyone conflict. We have decided to skip the dinner and we're moving on to the next book.