Thursday, May 11, 2006

Incredible and Influencial

I've been finishing ridiculously early in the lab and as you might expect the overwhelming freedom has lead me to indulge in some things that I'm not terribly proud of. Namely, today I watched Oprah at around 4pm (for as long as I could before falling into a deep sleep).

I was talking about Oprah the other day with someone at work. Just to fathom the power of this woman... She's supposedly worth 1.4 billion USD! Not only is she stinking rich, but people do whatever she says. Any book she features on her book club immediately goes to the best sellers list. It is believed that she cost the beef industry some 12 million dollars when she made an off-handed remark about being afraid of mad cows disease. I like this quote from Ben Shapiro of Townhall.com.

"Oprah Winfrey is the most powerful woman in America. She decides what makes the New York Times best-seller lists. Her touchy-feely style sucks in audiences at the rate of 14 million viewers per day. But Oprah is far more than a cultural force -- she's a dangerous political force as well, a woman with unpredictable and mercurial attitudes toward the major issues of the day."

I can't even get people to watch certain movies that I find cool. I don't understand what it is about her. There's a kind of magic about her. I mean, today the show was about women who hate themselves. And the format of these shows is just ridiculous because you have some messed up woman sitting in between Oprah and a professional psychiatrist. Technically Oprah shouldn't have a goddamn say in the matter, she's sitting there because of her name alone.

But the funny thing is, you still want to believe everything she says. The psychiatrist became less and less relevant as time went on. By the end of the show I thought I was messed up to and wished that Oprah could fix me!!! "YOU'RE RIGHT OPRAH!!! WILLY'S BEEN A BAD FATHER!!! BOOHOOHOO!!!"

Some people have a gift what else can you say? Oprah's credibility in any of the topics she choses to discuss is irrelevant at this point. Even when she emphasizes her ignorance in a particular situation, people only half listen to the expert and later turn to Oprah and thank her, usually with tears streaming down their face.

It's kind of dangerous when you think about it. The media (including the internet) has replaced people's need to think. You don't have to be critical about the information coming to you. You just type in a question on line and you're bombarded with answers. You don't need to turn to religion, or the law... Oprah will tell you what's right and what's wrong. Tom Cruise will tell you why depression isn't a medical condition that requires treatment. It's so easy to be stupid with these people around. I'm not saying it's their fault that people are ignorant, but it doesn't help.

And besides the ease access to the information they provide us, they dazzle us with they're glorious lifestyles. Who needs credibility when you got bank like dat??Oprah's beautiful homes and love of Lays potato chips and fashionable clothing... I want that!!! I want it all!!! Even just a taste of Oprah's life is euphoric. Have you ever seen the looks on people's faces when they realize they 're on Oprah's "Favourite Thing's" episode? They look like they just won the lottery! And in many ways they have! In 2004 she gave each member of the audience (276 people) Pontiac Sedans!! That's insane!

One day I'll have to go to the Oprah Winfrey Show in the off chance that I'll get hooked up with one of her favourite things. Knowing my luck I'll get some boring episode where she gives away books.

Oprah: "If you look under your chair you'll notice a copy of the book we've been discussing! "My Tears Fall Upon my Saggy Sad Bosom: A woman's struggle with Anorexia".
Me: "Saggy tear soaked bosoms?? I want a car!! I'll never forgive you for this Oprah!!"

I wonder if Oprah ever wants to test her power??? "I wonder how many people would try to kill the President if I told them to?? I wonder how many stay at home moms would join the army if I told them to??? Could I get thousands of people to jump off a bridge???" I guess it's a good thing I'm not Oprah... yet.

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