November 20, 2009, - 4:07 pm
Buh-Bye, Oprah & DLtDHYotWO*
Yesterday, word leaked that Oprah Winfrey was to announce, today, that her daytime TV talk show would end in September 2011.
(Oprah artwork by Six Meat Buffet/Preston Taylor Holmes)
Many readers have asked me about this, since I own the domain name/URL OprahSucks.com, and since I regularly monitor and lambaste the propaganda spews forth on her show and in her magazine with my regular “HOprah Watch” updates. My criticism of Oprah has appeared on FOX News, MSNBC, and USA Today, among other mainstream media outlets. And I’ve taken to calling her by a more appropriate title, “HRHSBotU”–Her Royal Highness Supreme Being of the Universe. Though, I’m not sure if even the universe can contain that undue ego.
Frankly, I’m happy to see Oprah go. And here’s why:
Her daytime talk show made her THE most influential woman in America, if not the world, and probably THE most influential person in America. And Oprah’s influence isn’t a good thing. Her careless, irresponsible words made the bottom of of the beef market fall out, and she bankrupted some ranchers. Far-left and New Age books she promotes and chooses for her book club hit the top of best-seller lists. And her “Oprah’s Favorite Things” shows make market hits out of obscure products Americans don’t need, but she creates the wants . . . at the same time as she contradicts herself and lectures viewers to cut down on their spending and excesses (which she never does for herself).
But it’s not just her ability to affect–and harm–markets that bothers me about Oprah. It’s something far worse. It’s that American Presidential candidates of both parties (Bush and Gore) were forced to pander to her, go on her show, and kiss her cheek. And it’s the empty European lifestyle she pimps on America. When telling Cameron Diaz she opposed marriage, Oprah proclaimed “We’ve evolved beyond that. We’re a different species.” We are? Last time I checked, we’re still homo sapiens and mammals. But I could be wrong. Maybe scientist Oprah knows better.
And that’s the thing. She doesn’t. But mindless women (and Mr. Moms and gay men) across America buy the junk science and quack “medicine” and health advice she pushes on her show. They also buy into her hatred of men and her portrayal of them as porn addicts, murderers, child molesters, rapists, adulterers, and otherwise all-around louts. And then, there’s the only “man” she does like. No, not Stedman (Stedman Graham, whom many suspect is her beard). No, not Gayle (Gayle King, her BFF whom many suspect is her real, um “significant other”). We’re talking about Barack Obama, whom she used her show to glorify to mindless Americans who later pulled his lever at the polls.
And don’t forget that Oprah launched several syndicated shows that are almost as harmful and which will outlast her own. Dr. Phil a/k/a Dr. Feel’s honky-tonk psychobabble and Dr. Oz’s junk science medicine pollute our daytime TV airwaves all because of her. Her legacy is bunk and producing more bunk for America to mindlessly and eagerly absorb. Thank G-d for the internet, which has reduced TV viewers and softened the blow . . . somewhat.
Yes, I will miss Oprah fodder for my site. But that isn’t worth the pan-Islamic, pro-Palestinian propaganda frequently on display during her show or the many lies she told about life in Cuba, HPV vaccines for girls, and global warming. Nor is it worth Dr. Oprah’s recommendation to mothers to buy their teen daughters vibrators.
But while she’s not the scholar in all things (or anything at all) that she self-portrays on her show, Oprah is no dummy. She’s definitely smart–smart at marketing herself and her endeavors. She announced she’s quitting her daytime talk show now, so it will raise ratings for the rest of the run, especially when the end is near and her new Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), her cable channel partnership with Discovery Channels, is set to begin broadcasting in January 2011. I predict her daytime TV talk show will start prostituting OWN like there’s no tomorrow. But it won’t help her keep the ego-boosting influence and power she has now.
Once the daytime TV talk show ends, thankfully, Oprah’s influence will die, though not completely and not enough. I predict her influence will mirror that of Howard Stern’s declining influence, once he left terrestrial radio. You never hear about him anymore, unless he’s getting married or disclosing that he once had a nose job. He’s dying for attention and influence and not getting it. Not enough of it to keep him happy. Yes, money can’t buy everything. Power is priceless. And Oprah’s giving up quite a bit of power, though she wants to leave as “undefeated champion” while some women are actually still watching TV (the audience continues to shrink away due to the internet and more women working, etc.).
There’s no way OWN, her new cable channel will reach the audience she had in syndication on broadcast television. The channel will be duplicative of elements of the Lifetime Channel, BET, E!, Style, and Al Gore’s left-wing channel. So, it’s hard to see how her new channel will be able to compete effectively against these long established channels, unless she poaches their best stuff. Even that won’t be enough. Brainless lefty Lisa Ling announced she will have a show on OWN. How many people are dying to watch Lisa Ling shill for HAMAS while ripping on polygamist Mormons (and ignoring Muslim ones), the way they couldn’t wait for the next episode of “The Sopranos” or “Mad Men“?
Yes, Oprah will still have her “O” magazine and satellite radio channel. But those were largely dependent upon her daytime talk show for promotion. And not everything Oprah touched–even with her show promoting it–was a success. Her “O at Home” magazine, in which she tried to compete with Martha Stewart and interior design style magazines, was a failure and folded. Her movie, “Beloved,” which she promoted heavily on her show–over a decade ago, when she had far more viewers than she now has–was an utter box office failure. She lost a role she desperately wanted in the movie, “Doubt” (read my review), to a barely known actress. With OWN, she’ll be far more obscure and even less effective. (I can’t wait!) And she’ll long the kind of spotlight and power she had with her daytime show.
As Lord Acton once said, “Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Oprah is absolutely corrupted. (And I don’t just mean her racist lording it over White people that she’s their boss.) So, I’m glad to see her go, even if it’s not completely. And even if it will mean I will have less rubbish to have fun kicking around on this site. This woman cannot disappear soon enough. It’s well past time, and America may never recover from her ravages. 25 seasons of propaganda and baloney inculcated into mushy minds is difficult to reverse. Still, something to cheer: her broadcast TV end is near. Also to applaud: decades from now, she will be a speck of dust and not a piece–even a tiny crumb–of American history. She achieved nothing for America.
Buh-Bye, Oprah. And DLtDHYotWO–* Don’t Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out.
Tags: daytime talk show, daytime tv talk show, HOprah Watch, Oprah, Oprah quitting, Oprah Winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Network, Oprah Winfrey Show, OWN, quitting, talk show
I couldn’t wait to read your post about Oprah’s semi retirement. Of course I remember just last week the severe tongue lashing I recieved for mistakenly suggesting there may be a hint of jealousy in your tone toward anything Oprah. You forgot to mention anoyher somewhat failure of hers pertaining to her school for girls in Africa. I dislike her no men allowed attitude but when I read that some of the girls had beeen sexually molested by some instructors on site this had to be a huge disappointment. Maybe even reminded Oprah of her uncles and cousins repeatedly raping her as a young girl. Which may also be the reason for her disdain in men. I’m no doctor but its a theory. I’m glad she’s finally calling it quits I didn’t appreciate her influence over B.O.’s candidancy for president.
seahawker on November 20, 2009 at 11:29 pm