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-Short Attention Span Theater-
How Oprah Invented Television
2011-05-26
Posted by:Besoeker

#11  "Oprah figured out how to make a televised Pity Party."

Bingo, Deacon.

Who in the hell has time to watch TV in the middle of the afternoon? Either I'm at work (or was sleeping when I worked 3d shift), or I've got better things to do at home than stare at the boob tube.

I actually set the VCR once to record her show because they were advertising a show about entrepreneurs and I hoped to get some pointers. What a waste. Summary: "Jane Doe was broke and nearly homeless, got an idea, and now she's rich!" No specifics, no suggestions, no encouragement for others, not discussion of the hard work and endless hours Jane (and her family, usually) must have put in, nothing but "now she's rich." Pathetic. Worthless.

As for her giving cars to the audience, I read about that. And about the audience members who bitched because they had to pay taxes on the $40,000 gift. As I said, pathetic.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2011-05-26 21:06  

#10  As Adam Carrolla says, Oprah sort of puts the lie to the idea that we are a racist, sexist nation.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2011-05-26 20:35  

#9  No, Joe 'two scoops' Biden invented the television so FDR could broadcast his fireside chats.

First, credit where its due. Oprah is very successful and for whatever reason has a huge audience outside the USA. A person cannot mention the opportunities of capitalism and the United States without at least mentioning Oprah Winfry. Why and how is certainly up to debate.

She has eased the daytime TV burdons of the middle class and brought 15 minutes to her books which we have not seen or heard of before or since.

She also hands out gifts up to cars and vacations to her guests to create enthusiasm.

She had an active campaign against the ranching community and if a way to gain political gravitas that was boneheaded because Chicaco is most definately affected by the cattle community as well as the rest of agriculture who told her to blow her wind elsewhere.

Her format was tried and true before she came along.

She helped invent the Oxygen Channel, is perhaps the worst piece of shit channel of all the shit channels, featuring a show where loose women drink till they barf then fight their roommates and f@ strangers, and that is their best show the rest, unmentionable.

Enjoy your newfound obscurity Oprah, you well deserve it.

(had to endure her adios show during the storms other day on account of radar updates..geezfarkinggooberdam, about as entertaining as watching a cat fall asleep)
Posted by: swksvolFF   2011-05-26 18:24  

#8  Sally Jessy, Phil, et al were doing the stint before her. She offered an assuage to middle class White Guilt(tm) among the lib and soccer mom crowd. She had already hit her zenith and was naturally coasting downward when she threw in with blood/clan/tribe over her community which was Hildabeast country. It's been in rapid decent since then.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2011-05-26 17:45  

#7  I thought Al Gore invented TV.
Posted by: JohnQC   2011-05-26 15:04  

#6  Oprah figured out how to make a televised Pity Party. People loved her show because she had on lots of people who were worse off than the people who watched and they could then feel good about themselves while pitying others.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2011-05-26 14:01  

#5  I never understood her attraction, though she obviously has (up until now, at least) good business sense.

From what I can tell, she's mostly contributed to the wussification of people in this country. And that never bodes well for a country.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2011-05-26 13:34  

#4  Oprah was unkind to meat from Texas... looking at her physical size meat she likely overindulged in...
Pot Kettle and all that jazz.
Posted by: Water Modem   2011-05-26 12:01  

#3  Goodbye, Oprah. What a wonderful woman on TV you were.

Oprah... came from humble roots to inspire millions, and she did her best to change the world for good.

What an amazing person. She is truly loved around the world and for good reason.

Oprah: I wish i could be a tenth of the person you are.
Posted by: anon1   2011-05-26 09:18  

#2  This whole Oprah thing reminds me of Howard Stern who seemed to disappear from the zeitgeist once he went to satellite radio. HIs show might have even been far better but for most of us he disappeared.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2011-05-26 09:11  

#1  Her cable channel only draws a 100,000 viewers (average) and will likely dissapear without trace.

Proving once again that success doesn't equal genius.
Posted by: phil_b   2011-05-26 07:14  

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