I knew something about this Million Little Pieces controversy was pissing me off but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it other than to keep thinking “this is the ONLY thing America is talking about this month?? How is that possible??”. Then I read a comment posted by a blogger on another website which was mocking yesterday’s Oprah/James Frey interview (http://www.gawker.com/news/fake-writer-day/do-not-piss-off-the-oprah-151023.php), and it was this blogger’s comment that articulated my thoughts better than I was able to:
“I do feel bad for Frey that he is being held up as an example of all that is wrong with America here. Like the earl grey said, if Oprah would sick her ass (and all the asses of Oprites) on the lies about Iraq, WMDs, health care, corporate fraud, etc. just imagine the actual difference that could be made.”
I myself do not worship on the ground that Oprah walks on nor do I take her word to be the Gospel. But many (many) do….her power and influence is (frighteningly) unmatched by almost any other public American figure. So...um...(scratching head)...THIS is what she’s using her power for?
Yes, James Frey told lies in his book. Yes, he should have stuck w/ the initial plan and sold the book as “fiction”, and yes, the publishing industry does need to be held to standards regarding fact-checking and they should be ashamed to have mislead the public in the name of profits....
But lets remember that “mis-leading” the public is something that is not confined to the book publishing industry in this country….can you say “WMDs”? Or has everyone forgotten things like the fact that we have troops in Iraq for – at best – murky reasons, b/c we’re too busy throwing Mr. Frey under the bus?
Oprah has, apparently.
