Yesterday, I tried to write something clever and concise. Something a bit more literary and less stream of semi-consciousness. It didn't work. , perhaps I'll put it up so that you might laugh at my efforts a bit and feel bad that all I can do is puke out whatever randomness is running through my head at the time.Hey, did you see Oprah? She talked about the secret, sorry The Secret on her show with "experts" and everything. Clearly the secret is working for her, she had bubbles with a Tiffany bubble wand sitting on her desk after the Bubble Man episode. Nevermind that they were a forgotten and useless gift from her personal assistant from months past. Well, that even proves it further, the bubbles were there even before Oprah wanted them.
My personal opinion is that sweet and glorious Oprah is the Whore of Babylon, Mother of All Harlots. I mean that in the nicest, most giving of all ways. You read the Bible daily, right? And have carefully studied the book of Revelation with the help of divine inspiration? I haven't lately (I'm no Huckabee), I just dabble would the mood strikes, but from what I understand, Babylon is a representation of all that is evil (aka corperations, right) and the Whore of Babylon, Mother of All Harlots would be someone who works hard to get you to buy/use/believe whatever it is that Babylon wants us "good" people to buy/use/believe. Oprah makes people millionares, just by endorsing their products/ideas/movies on her show. Women flock to buy her book suggestions, fawn over her every word, and give money to whatever righteous cause she names.
I'm not saying the Mother of All Harlots never does any good. How easy would it be if all she did was push brand names? No, she is wise and clever. So much with the humanitarian causes, universal and individual, that many see that as her primary focus. But, I think she has other plans, perhaps presidential ...
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the entertainment she provides and find her guests to occasionally be quite insightful, but I would not burst into tears to be in her presense. I do not see as more than a financially powerful woman with great influence over American women, generally telling us the same things that all the big money people tell us: you're not good enough the way you are. BUY this product or that book and you will be beautiful and happy; wear this brand of underwear, eat this kind of ice cream, never never never eat this or that or you will be fat and miserable for the rest of your life. Truth mixed with lies to be easier to swallow.
No, I don't think she's necessasarily a bad person, but I wouldn't put her up for sainthood either. She knows how much power and influence she wields, and she chooses to sell us tonnes emptiness as often as she sells us milligrams of Truth. I just want people, myself, the universe to know I do not think she is all that and a bag of chips. That's all.
**my spellcheck still isn't working, sorry.
2 Brilliant Bits of Inspiration:
I totally agree with you. Oprah is so fake-o and I can't stand how she panders to upper middle class women telling then how they can 'enrich' their lives by buying a certain book or following a certain life plan devised by her. I only saw two interesting shows ever--the one about heart disease and the one featuring women in their thirties around the world. All her other shows just suck.
Also, you are so right about The Secret. It is all about materialism (especially the part about making a poster of your dream possessions). It never really suggests doing good in the world or being selfless as a way to achieve happiness. I also hate how it panders to desperate people. My sister in law and mother in law think it's the greatest--because they lack in material goods and want to get more. Thankfully I just checked it out of the library. Maybe you could sell your copy on Amazon.
BTW, my verification phrase for this password is 'suukumun'--very apropos, no?
Brandy,
You read my mind. What we have is a mirror of our collective unfulfillment, our ego rampage, our craven hunger for instant gratification. The march keeps going on, you see, and doesn't anyone ever wonder that if these remedies and incantations had actually worked, we all might be satisfied by now? This is the empire built on The Next Great Thing.
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